


carnations and chrysanthemums

by afterdreams



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Death, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Mild Blood, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:34:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 99,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25994536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterdreams/pseuds/afterdreams
Summary: Bora's questions about the disappearance of her best friend went unanswered for years. It's not until she finds her again that she loses her for a second time, leaving her with more questions than before. When she meets a mysterious masked girl from a criminal organization, those unanswered uncertainties grow along with curiosity and interest, and maybe, a girl who unintentionally bloomed inside of her heart.
Relationships: Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon
Comments: 29
Kudos: 141





	1. Chapter 1

The sound of light footsteps splashing through occasional puddles and staggered breaths was the only thing reverberating throughout the seemingly endless woods. That, and the heavy footsteps trailing behind, thicker in numbers. The rain fell hard, drenching anyone who was unfortunate enough to be out in this weather. They weaved in and out of the trees, running as fast as they could, but it still wasn’t enough. Jumping over a fallen branch, Bora glanced behind her, cursing silently as she still saw multiple red lasers flying through the air. 

“We’re not losing them,” she reported angrily to the girl next to her. 

The other girl looked behind them as well, as if confirming her warning. “We may just have to fight.”

Bora felt warm liquid streaming down her side, a liquid that despite being soaked from the rain, she was still able to distinguish as blood. In normal circumstances, they could win this. But she was already injured, and she knew Yubin wasn’t in much better condition. She bit her lip, stopping in her tracks. Yubin quickly halted after noticing her partner did, running up to her.

“Send a message to Yoohyeon and tell her what we found,” she panted. “In case this goes badly.”

It would go badly. Bora had all the confidence in the world, but she wasn’t an idealist. This wasn’t some video game or anime where the hero is magically able to defeat all odds. They were two badly injured agents getting hunted by at least fifteen enemies. Her and Yubin were top of the pack when it came to skill, but like she said, they were nearing their limit.

The sound of the rain falling against leaves became harder to hear with each second, the soft noise becoming overthrown by increasingly loud footsteps. She took a deep and steady breath, pulling out her pistol that was already low on ammunition. It had been a long day, one that shouldn’t have ended this way. After pocketing her phone, Yubin pulled out her pistol as well, spinning it with her index finger before pointing in the direction of the stampede. Bora looked over at her, giving her a reassuring nod once the other girl met her gaze. Yubin nodded back, and instantly jumped to the side to take cover behind a tree. Bora did the same, pressing her back up against a tall oak tree. She listened to her heartbeat for a few moments, glad that it didn’t beat any differently. Anyone in this line of work knew that this moment would eventually come, so there was nothing to fear. 

Taking one last breath as she heard the footsteps pass into an open area, Bora turned, jumping out from behind the tree. The first few shots were fired blindly, only shooting in the direction where she could see the red lasers. She heard a body drop, and she mentally patted herself on the back for the aim, though her moment was cut short as they returned fire. Bora took cover back behind the tree for a second before running to the next one, trying to find a new angle. She heard Yubin shoot a few times, and they were now probably fighting opposite to each other. She’d have to be careful where she shot next. Sprinting through the tall grass, Bora grabbed on to a tree branch, swinging herself around and kicking the gun out of an enemies hand. Before he could make a sound, she pinned him on the ground and sliced his neck with a small dagger. Hearing leaves crunch behind her, Bora quickly dodged to the left, rolling across the ground as a gunshot cracked, bullet landing in the chest of the man she just killed.

“Nice shot dumbass,” she mumbled as she threw herself up with her arms, returning fire. 

Disappearing back into the treeline, Bora caught her breath behind a tree. She lifted her black shirt, inspecting the fresh bullet wound that was now oozing even more crimson liquid. She winced in pain, squeezing her eyes shut as her head fell back against the tree. Her chest heaved up and down with each struggled breath. Hearing a branch crack next to her, Bora jumped, pulling out her pistol but relaxing once realizing it was Yubin.

“Come here often?” She joked.

“You’re so stupid,” the younger girl sighed. 

Bora could see a fresh cut in Yubin’s arm, the girl not doing much better than she was. She heard footsteps coming closer again, this time on either side of them. If it wasn’t looking good before, then now would be the equivalent to an injured rabbit surrounded by wolves. Bora checked the magazine in her pistol, only counting a coulple bullets. 

“How much fight you got left?” She asked Yubin.

“Enough,” the girl answered simply. “You?”

“I didn’t have much,” she sighed. “But they’re really pissing me off, so I’d say I have enough too.”

A small smile tugged at Yubin’s lips, Bora mirroring it but with a little more enthusiasm. She held up her hand, Yubin instantly giving her a high five. 

“Til the end,” Bora spoke with confidence, masking the slight fear she was starting to feel.

The younger girl nodded, looking up at the sky. “I guess I’ll see you sooner than I expected, Handong.”

With that, the two popped out from behind the tree and made their final stand. Bora opted for her dagger first, trying to preserve the ammo in her pistol. She sprinted towards a body that was only slightly disconnected from the group, taking him by surprise as she lunged forward. He dodged, but Bora was faster, planting her weight on her right foot and changing direction. She bent her knees and thrusted her hand up, feeling the dagger dig deep into warm flesh. Quickly pulling it out, she jumped back to create distance as they counter attacked. Their left fist came first, Bora lifting her own arm to block the strike. She felt a hand wrap around her wrist, throwing her on the ground. A cough left her lips as her back took the rough impact, a rock digging into her rib. Her eyes caught the glint of a silver knife falling quickly with a hand gripping it tightly. Right before it struck her body, she did a backwards somersault, planting her hand on the ground and flipping up on her feet. As she got ready to attack, her eyes widened as she heard someone close behind her, dodging and seeing a throwing knife fly by her head. She turned, deflecting a hand that was aimed for her neck. Grabbing the wrist, she twisted it until it broke, ducking as a boot attempted to come in contact with her head. She pulled the man closer, making his head take the full brunt of the kick. He fell to the ground, and she quickly took the opportunity to sink her dagger into his neck. One more. Well, one more until she had to worry about the other ten.

Bora jumped back trying to create distance, but the man was already right behind her. She ran, rebounding off a large tree trunk and launching in the direction of the person chasing her. She delivered a hefty kick to his jaw, sending him stumbling back. She pulled out her pistol, firing a shot that ripped into his thigh, but to her surprise, he shook it off.

“Do you guys just not feel pain?” She asked in frustration, knowing she wouldn’t get an answer. 

He began running towards her, and Bora tried tracking his movement. It proved to be harder than usual, the amount of blood she was losing was starting to affect her vision, seeing double. She watched closely as he put his weight on his right foot, meaning he was going to dodge left to get a cheap shot in. Bora made the right preparations as he began to bend his knees, and as he leapt in the direction she guessed, she made a careless strike, one that she wouldn’t make if not in worse condition. Her mind had over shot it, and as her arm was extended, she was completely open for a half second, and it was a half second too late. Her rib cage was greeted with the force of a boot, sending her flying backwards on the wet ground. She felt one of her ribs crack, a pain that wasn’t the most fun to deal with. Her back landed flat against the grass, wincing as she tried to sit up. Placing a hand behind her, Bora was able to shakily sit up, but that was it. She couldn’t stand, and all she could do was watch as the faceless person walked closer. 

The rain pelted her face, and she suddenly appreciated the nature around her and the red that stained it. Taking a deep breath, Bora closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the smell of the rain before opening them. 

“Tell me,” she breathed heavily, trying to buy time. The act of speaking itself was even painful. “How did you know we’d be here?”

They didn’t respond, not that she really cared. She slowly moved her free hand near her back pocket. “Was it one of our new kids? I heard things went wrong a few weeks back on a mission, did one of them break and give away future plans?”

As she saw his hand moving for his gun, she quickly pulled out her pistol, aiming it at his head. “We’ll find out either way.”

With her index finger on the trigger, she tightly squeezed, but there was no noise or shot that followed. Frowning, Bora lowered her pistol. “Really?” She tossed it to the side, splashing in a puddle. “How cliché.”

Watching as he pulled out his gun, Bora quietly sighed. “Minji, please don’t let my plants die,” she pleaded to no one in particular.

The air was suddenly calm, and Bora thought it was poetic in a sense. She wondered how Yubin was holding up, if she still was. Now that she thought about it, she should have just had the younger girl leave when she could. With such little probability of success, there was no reason for both of them to have stayed.

It was as if she watched the gun raise in slow motion, the seconds ticking by like they were minutes instead. Every inch of her body was in pain, and at this point, getting put out of her misery seemed pleasant. She saw the index finger that hugged the trigger pull, and within an instant later, there was a deafening crack throughout her ears. Bora didn’t close her eyes, she wanted to watch as her life was taken. 

Red liquid was dispersed into the air, and Bora’s vision went black. Well, not entirely. In front of her was black, but if she turned her head, she could still see her surroundings. She let her eyes roam upwards, following a path on a tall, slender body. The person was wearing black combat boots with slim black cargo pants tucked into them. At first, she wondered if it was Yubin, but the tight black turtleneck and corset-like piece proved otherwise. Long black hair was swaying softly from the sudden stop, and Bora wondered how this girl kept her hair so silky and straight even in the humidity and rain. It was only then, once the shock had subsided, that Bora remembered what was happening and what happened. She tried standing up, but her body wouldn’t listen to her. She could only watch as the girl put a hand to her stomach, tilting her head down to look at the blood that was on her hand. 

The man moved to shoot again but she was much faster, pulling out her pistol and shooting him in the head. Bora could barely even process what had happened as the girl’s hand that held her gun dropped to her side. Slowly, the mysterious girl slightly turned her head, glancing at Bora out of the corner of her eye.

Bora could only see her side profile, but it was sharp. Her eyes were dark, holding no emotion that Bora could tell. Her nose curved perfectly with her face, leading to her soft red lips. Her jawline accentuated it all, as if being the bold outliner, piecing together the rest of her features. She was beautiful, but that wasn’t why Bora sat there, eyes wide and lips parted. This girl looked familiar, however she wasn’t anyone from her team, that she was sure of. She watched as the taller girl seemingly glanced down, checking Bora’s body out, though not in the sleazy way. She was assessing her wounds, and Bora could practically see her taking mental notes. That was when it clicked in Bora’s mind. A distant, far away memory floated to the top of her head as she stared into the girl’s eyes. That face, she had seen it before, but years ago. For the life of her, Bora couldn’t remember a name, but she swore it was the same girl she befriended when they were young.

Before she could analyze it any further, the girl turned back to the front, running to the group of enemies. Bora wanted to yell and tell her to stop, because there were way more than one person could handle, but her mouth wouldn’t move. 

She watched as the girl jumped straight into the lion's den, slashing away and firing a few shots every now and then. She moved gracefully and more smoothly than anyone Bora had ever seen. Every step was calculated, there was no guessing or hesitation. Bodies dropped left and right, and for a moment, it seemed like Bora was wrong. This girl was brutal and calculating, something that almost struck fear in Bora. But as more and more enemies piled in, the more the girl began to struggle. Bora winced as she saw a knife tear through her thigh, but it seemed like no matter how much she was getting hit, she had no intention of backing off or creating distance. It was extremely frustrating, and Bora had to help. She tried pushing herself up, her body trembling as she gritted her teeth. For a second, she thought she had it, but she felt arms wrap underneath her own, picking her up.

“What the hell,” she tried to struggle free before realizing it was someone she knew. “Yubin?”

“We have to go,” the younger girl quickly said, dragging Bora back. 

“Are you crazy?” She pointed towards the fight. “There’s a battle going on right now, we can’t just leave.”

Yubin didn’t stop. “You’re going to bleed out, Bora. We’re leaving.”

“What about that girl? We’re leaving her, too?”

Stopping for a moment, Yubin sighed. “Do you see the white band on her thigh? She’s a Spectre, this is their job. Things must have got bad and the higher ups called her unit.

“A Spectre?” Bora whispered under her breath. She squinted, trying to look at the girl’s thigh. Spectre A01.

Yubin was right. But why would they be called in? To Bora’s knowledge, this wasn’t a groundbreaking situation. Spectres were a small but lethal unit, in fact, they were probably the most lethal units out of all of the four. Not much was known about them, as they got less freedom than any of the other units. They had one job, and that was to kill. Spectres get called in during the most needed times, where it’s life or death, not for a person, but for the organization. When there’s a secret that needs to be kept or is about to be exposed. In other words, they were high tier back up, that after being in the line of work for fifteen years, it was the first time Bora had ever seen one mix with her case. But why didn’t they send more? One person couldn’t handle this.

“A01,” Bora read out loud. “She’s the leader?”

“I don’t think the Spectre unit has a leader like we do. They’re often referred to as a number, but I’m pretty sure her number means she’s the highest tier they have."

Bora marveled, watching in awe as the taller woman moved. “She looks so young though.”

“Spectres are taken from a young age to train just like us, but there’s a difference,” Yubin explained. “Whereas we had breaks and freedom to make friends and do other things, they’re not given that. Their entire life is planned out, and they train from morning to night, every day. She probably is young.”

“You seem to know a lot about them,” Bora furrowed her eyebrows.

“We literally work in the same organization as them,” Yubin deadpanned. “They’re fighting under the same name. But also, I was recruited to them when I was younger.”

Bora’s eyes widened. “You turned them down?”

“No,” Yubin chuckled. “That’s not possible. They ended up taking someone else thankfully.”

Slowly nodding, Bora felt Yubin begin to move again. “Anyway, we have to go. She’s fighting to buy us time to get out of here, we have to respect that.”

“Alright,” Bora shrugged. At the end of the day, she got to go home and make sure her plants didn’t die, so she guessed it didn’t matter. 

Standing on her own, Bora ignored the pain as they started to run deeper into the forest, away from the carnage. She looked behind her one last time, seeing the girl finally drop to her knees, held back as a dagger was run through her chest. Bora winced, narrowing her eyes as she faced forward. This job wasn’t for the faint of heart, that was for sure. 

“Thank you,” she whispered quietly.

It was as if the further they got, the more Bora remembered, and suddenly, the name of the girl popped into her head.

“Siyeon.”

_Bora walked into the large brick building that was surrounded by countless levels of protection. Normal people would probably wonder if it were a jail, but it was far from it. At the time, little Bora saw it as a safe haven of sorts, and it kind of was. Kids from any age whose parents died or abandoned them were screened before being admitted to the compound. Bora was six when she entered, the only memory she had of her parents were them pushing her out of the car. She bounced between child orphanages before getting approached by a government official, saying they’d take care of her from there. It was this compound they took her to, and she met a lot of kids like her, though some were obviously mentally detached. Despite never having a loving family, Bora never lost her love for affection and skinship. Minji was the first one who approached her, her bright smile saturated in color compared to the black and white scenery._

_Soon after meeting Minji, the girl introduced Bora to Yoohyeon, and they became something to what Bora would imagine what a family was. They spent every second they could together, training, eating, playing, anything. Two years later, Bora was moved to a different facility for unit testing. The kids there were extremely different. They seemed more… dead. There were no kids smiling brightly, but she didn’t really care. Eventually she’d get to go back to Minji and Yoohyeon._

_A month in, and the loneliness was suffocating her, not to mention the rigorous tests. Bora needed human contact, that’s just how she was, and she definitely wasn’t getting it there. One day she walked into an outside garden, inspecting the plants and feeling happy at seeing them thrive. It was her favorite place, and she felt like it was the only thing keeping her sane. When she turned the corner, Bora saw a girl who looked younger than her sitting against a garden post, eyes closed. There where white and red flowers all around her, like she was sitting in a spotlight almost. The girl looked extremely peaceful, and she was someone Bora hadn’t seen before. There were a couple hundred kids in this specific facility, so it wasn’t surprising._

_Accidentally kicking a pebble, the girl’s eyes slowly opened, lifting up to look at the intruder. “Sorry,” Bora apologized, but was quietly amazed by how pretty she was. Black hair, soft yet sharp eyes that reminded her of a puppy’s._

_“It’s okay,” the girl said quietly. Her voice was small in a way. She didn’t sound shy, just quiet._

_“Are you new here?” Bora asked, sitting down across from the girl._

_She silently shook her head. “I’ve been here for three years.”_

_“Three years?” Bora tilted her head. “How old are you?”_

_“Ten."_

_“Oh, you’re a year younger than me. What unit are they pushing you for?"_

_“Control.”_

_Bora was beginning to wonder if this girl was emotionally detached too, because there was no emotion coming from her. She was nice, though._

_“Oh, me too!” Bora exclaimed. “Maybe we’ll get to leave here together and you can come back with me to my old facility. I have friends there I can introduce you to.”_

_She saw the girl’s eyes light a little bit before returning to normal. “Maybe.”_

_Bora glanced around, thinking of something to ask. She saw the flowers again, and looked back at the girl. "Do you like flowers?"_

_The black haired girl nodded, though not saying anything, so Bora spoke again. "Do you have a favorite kind? I like carnations a lot. They don't live for long I hear, but I think they're pretty."_

_There was a few seconds of silence as the girl thought about it, before glancing down at her side. "Chrysanthemums," she spoke, the said flower being the one she was sitting by._

_"Oh," Bora smiled. "I like those too, although I'm pretty sure they represent death and sorrow in some cultures."_

_"What do carnations mean then?" She heard her ask, interest in her voice._

_"It depends on the color," Bora shrugged. "I like red carnations the most, and I read that they represent deep love and affection."_

_The girl looked at her for a while before nodding. She seemed genuinely pleased with Bora's knowledge, but still didn't press to make conversation. Bora realized she had to be the one to keep asking questions or something to get her to keep talking, so she did._

_“I like your bracelet,” Bora pointed at the slim silver chain wrapped around the girl’s wrist._

_The younger girl looked at it before looking back up at Bora. She unclasped the bracelet, holding it out. “You can have it if you want.”_

_“What?” Bora looked surprised. “No, it’s okay. That’s yours, you want it, don’t you?”_

_The girl shook her head. “I like it, but I want you to have it. You seem nice.”_

_Bora had no idea what was going on. This girl seemed extremely mature for her age, although three years of these kinds of facilities and that was bound to happen. Still, she seemed different, more caring._

_She didn’t give Bora an option, simply reaching forward and dropping it in her lap. Before she could say thank you, the girl stood up. “Take care of it,” she said as she walked towards the exit of the garden._

_“Hey wait!” Bora called out, stopping her. “What’s your name? I’ll find you tomorrow after training.”_

_“Lee Siyeon,” she said, leaving before Bora could tell her her name._

_As she watched the girl walk away, Bora looked down at the bracelet. It was just a simple chain like bracelet, but she liked it. “Siyeon,” she whispered. That kid felt warm somehow, despite her quiet manner._

_“You seem nice too.”_

_Four years had passed, and Bora was making progress. One of the adults had told her she’d probably be able to go back to Minji and Yoohyeon if she kept it up, which excited her to an extreme. She had gotten to meet with them a few times per year ever since leaving, so it wasn't like they had completely lost contact. Plus, they sent letters back and forth whenever the adults would let them._

_“Hey Bora!” She heard a voice behind her yell. A smile broke out on her face as she turned around._

_“Siyeon? What are you doing in this section?”_

_“What do you mean?” The younger girl tilted her head. “Wooseok said you asked if I could come here.”_

_At the time, Bora had no idea how this facility worked, because she hadn’t experienced it herself. In order to properly gauge which unit to put someone in, kids were put in a real life situation, and depending on how they reacted, that plus their mental and physical evaluations were put together and that’s how they decided on the unit._

_“Wooseok?” She asked, unsure of how he would know where she was. She ended up just shrugging it off._

_“Yeah,” Siyeon’s voice suddenly became more quiet. “Why, do you not want me here?”_

_There was fear in her voice, something that Bora had eventually picked up through their years of friendship. It seemed like anything to do with being abandoned, Siyeon lost her carefree personality, and it was replaced by worry, fear and anxiety._

_“What? No,” Bora shook her head, walking towards the girl. “I was going to try and find you in your room anyway after I changed.”_

_A genuine smile instantly revealed itself on Siyeon’s lips, and it made Bora smile as well. What she hadn’t expected the first time meeting Siyeon was how much of a smiley person she was. When you got close to her, it was easy to make Siyeon laugh, and it seemed like the girl was laughing all the time. She also made Bora laugh with ease, the two of them almost like perfect fits._

_Moving forward, Bora pulled Siyeon into a tight hug. “How did training go today?”_

_The younger girl hugged her back, and Bora noticed how different it felt from the first time they hugged. Siyeon was growing fast, and she was probably a little bit taller than her now._

_“It was good,” Siyeon sighed in contentment. “They said I was doing well, and that if I kept working hard I’ll be able to leave early with you.”_

_“That’s great!” Bora beamed. She let go of the girl, stepping back. “So they’re still planning on putting you in the Control unit?”_

_“Mhm, but my training always sounds different than yours, it’s weird.”_

_“Maybe it’s personalized,” Bora shrugged, picking up on her friend's sudden worry. “Wanna go watch a movie?”_

_Siyeon smiled, nodding her head. “Yeah!”_

_By the time they had watched the second movie, Siyeon and Bora were all laughed out. They were sitting next to each other on the couch, tiredly chatting about anything._

_“Do you think your friends will like me?” Siyeon asked lazily, playing with the skin on the back of Bora’s hand._

_“Of course,” Bora reassured. “They’re really nice, I think you’ll like them. Just don’t like them as much as you like me, okay?”_

_Siyeon chuckled, hitting Bora’s knee lightly. “Okay. I promise.”_

_She was excited. She wanted to give Siyeon a life it seemed she hadn’t had before. At first, Siyeon is a closed off person, and Bora never asked the reasons. It made sense as to why she didn’t have any friends, as she never tried to make them, probably in fear they’d leave her. But it didn’t take Bora long to break through her barrier, and now, they were inseparable. Bora wanted to show her what it was like to have a family, and Siyeon never explicitly said it, but she could tell she was excited._

_Yawning, Bora got up to turn the lights on. As she walked near the door to flip on the light switch, she heard heavy footsteps before the door flew open. A man she didn’t recognize ran in, harshly shoving her, her back slamming against the wall._

_“Bora?” She heard Siyeon’s panicked voice from her side._

_Bora didn’t know what was happening, but seeing the man pull out a knife meant it wasn’t good. She bent her knees in preparation to dodge, watching his hand carefully. He swung loosely to the left, and she ducked under it, rolling to the side before standing up. She tried delivering a punch, but it was blocked. He was way too strong, and he ended up throwing her halfway across the room. Bora slowly sat up, head slightly disoriented._

_“Siyeon, run and get the adults,” she instructed the smaller girl, mainly so she’d be safe. But she didn’t hear any movement, and the only thing she saw was the man walking closer._

_“Run little girl,” he spoke to who Bora assumed was Siyeon. “I’m not after you, so run now and I won’t kill you.”_

_As he reached in his back pocket, Bora pleaded that Siyeon would listen. His hand lifted, aiming a pistol directly at her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her hands tremble. Hearing light footsteps, Bora opened her eyes again, seeing Siyeon’s slim body standing in front of her, arms out wide._

_“I don’t care about living if she’s gone,” Siyeon spoke steadily. There was no fear in her voice, and it sounded resolute, surprising Bora. Where she felt scared, Siyeon didn’t. The girl was something else, and she felt like she’d never truly learn everything about her._

_The man lowered his pistol, placing it in his back pocket and losing the scary look on his face. “Wooseok,” he called out, another man entering the room. “This one,” he pointed directly at Siyeon._

_Wooseok walked forward, grabbing Siyeon by the arms and started to drag her towards the exit. “Wait!” Bora yelled, standing up. “Where are you taking her!”_

_Neither of them answered, and Siyeon was struggling to free herself. “Let me go,” she kicked, almost knocking the guy off balance, but not quite._

_Bora ran forward to chase her friend, but was caught by the other man, holding her back. “Let go!” She thrashed, extending her arm out to Siyeon, who was looking at her in fear._

_“Siyeon!” She desperately cried out, reaching her arm even further. The younger girl reached out as well, but they were too far apart._

_“I don’t want to go,” Siyeon’s voice was shaking. “I want to stay here with Bora, please! You said I could leave this place with her!”_

_The pure fear, sadness and desperation in Siyeon’s voice quite literally shattered Bora’s heart. She couldn’t do anything to help her. She wasn’t strong enough, and she could only watch as Siyeon was dragged away._

_“I’m so sorry,” Bora felt tears running down her cheeks as Siyeon frantically tried escaping. It was the first time Bora experienced such heart wrenching emotions. She promised to have Siyeon meet her friends, but now, she was just a liar._

_“I’ll find you again someday!” She heard Siyeon yell. “I’ll find you Bora!”_

_She could tell the girl was crying by the sound of her voice, but she was out of sight now, and Bora collapsed. “Why,” she whispered. “Why did you take her!”_

_In an instant, she got up to run after Siyeon, but the man held her back again. “Listen girl,” he said firmly. “Your friend isn’t dying, she’s been chosen for a unit.”_

_“A unit?” Bora’s eyes widened. “She was told she was going to be a part of Control.”_

_“That was a lie to get her to work with us,” he answered. “For three years, we tried training her, but she was stubborn and refused to use her skills or talent, opting to sleep in the training room instead. It wasn’t until a year ago she actually started trying and striving to become better. The reason for that was because of you. She asked us how she could get on the same unit as you, and that’s when we told her if she did well. We were always training her for the Spectre unit.”_

_Bora stared lifelessly at the ground. She felt hollow, and the world felt like the colors had completely drained. All the times Siyeon had been suspicious that her training was different, and Bora just brushed it off. The pure happiness and hope on Siyeon’s face when she’d talk about meeting Minji and Yoohyeon. The smile she’d wear when she saw Bora. None of it was ever meant to last. Bora had heard of the Spectre unit, but never had she known anyone who was set to go in it. The kids talked about that unit like it was some magic place, rather than a reality. It was rumored to be extremely hard and difficult._

_“Why didn’t you just tell her the truth?” She asked with a shaky breath, though already knowing the answer._

_“Because then she wouldn’t listen to us.”_

_It was all Bora’s fault. If she hadn’t befriended Siyeon, the girl wouldn’t have been crying just now. “I’m sorry,” she repeated herself, holding her head in her hands. The short time she had with Siyeon, she grew to love the girl as her best friend._

Bora opened her eyes, unsure if it was tears or rain on her cheeks, though not stopping the fast pace of their escape.

“I’m so sorry.”


	2. harmless

Bora walked down an empty street in Moscow, Russia, far from home. Her long faded blonde hair trailed behind her, no wind to push it around. The occasional street lights were the only source of light in the dark night, illuminating the paved road. She sighed, balling her hands into fists so her jacket would completely cover them. This time, she was alone. She didn’t get a partner for this mission, as Yubin and Minji were already on one, and Yoohyeon was recovering. That meant Bora was bored. Extremely bored. Her energy levels thrive around people, so she always hated having to do missions alone. Not to mention that this place seemed to be a ghost town. She wasn’t sure why this mission seemed so important, but even if she asked she wouldn’t get an answer anyway, much like a year ago.

It had been a year since the night she saw Siyeon again, or rather, since she saw Siyeon die. At first, as she and Yubin left the area, Bora wasn’t positive if it was her as she never got a clear look at her face. When they got home, Bora checked everyday for a report from the Spectre unit, and eventually, she saw Siyeon’s name on the document, reporting her death. It had also stated that she fulfilled her mission despite her demise since she took everyone else down with her, and that single sentence sent fury into Bora. She never understood why or what was so important that they classified losing their highest skilled agent a success. She asked for months, trying to get answers, but every agent knew it wasn’t their place to ask, and they weren’t promised any answers. They were to carry out their missions without hesitation, and it never really bothered Bora because as long as she wasn’t slaughtering innocent civilians or something, she didn’t care. They took down the kind of people who ran large human trafficking rings, attempt to make a biochemical disaster, or other things of the sort. But still, she would have liked to know what was so important that they sent Siyeon in to kill the rest of the criminal organization that was chasing Yubin and her. It was actually quite impressive, the report had stated there were twenty-four bodies, including Siyeon’s.

Ever since that day, Bora refused to forget her name again, or lock the memory deep inside, because that was where she went wrong in the first place. When they were kids, and Siyeon was taken away, Bora was so broken that she could barely eat or do anything for months. So as a defensive mechanism, her mind put Siyeon’s existence in a box and tightly locked it, burying it deep down. It worked, because Bora eventually forgot her. Eventually forgot the person’s name who gave her the bracelet she still wears every single day. She failed Siyeon, not once but twice. Still, Bora didn’t have the time to think about it too much. There wasn’t time in her line of work to think about the past, or wish you could have saved someone. That will only accelerate your own death. She still cared about her friends immensely, but you also have to remember that they won’t be by your side forever, one of you will leave the other first. Sighing again, Bora stuck out of her left hand, glancing at the silver bracelet. Despite knowing all of that, she still couldn’t help but wish things had been different, or that she and Yubin weren’t too injured to help that night.

Bora turned the corner into a dark alleyway, a little shortcut back to her apartment. As she took a few steps, she lifted her gaze, quietly inhaling as she saw a taller, dark figure a little ways down the alley. They were just standing in the middle, but as she squinted to see better, she noticed there was no face to this person. They had a black mask on, followed by black clothing that hid every other aspect of their body. She frowned, taking a few more steps closer, but with caution.

“What is a Cobra agent doing all the way out in Russia?” She asked, knowing she wouldn’t get an answer. 

The way that they hid their face with those masks, it was a way to tell who they were and what criminal organization they belonged to. And this particular person was from Cobra, the same group who killed Siyeon that night. They were always faceless and voiceless, something that irritated Bora. Still, she could make notes about the rest of their body. This person in particular was probably a good few inches taller than her, slim build and she would guess it’s a female, but she didn’t like making assumptions on people’s gender.

“Not in a talkative mood?” She tilted her head teasingly. 

Getting no response, Bora heavily sighed, pulling out her dagger from her back pocket as she had left her gun at the hotel. “You gonna do something or just stand there?”

The figure remained still for another few seconds before suddenly lunging into action, sprinting towards her. Bora’s eyes widened, the speed at which this person was moving was incredible. She carefully tracked their movements, watching as they favored their weight on their right foot, giving Bora the information that they were about to strike. They extended their arm, a small knife gripped tightly as they swung skillfully for her throat. Bora jumped back, using her hand to push the person’s wrist away. But the second she created distance, it was already taken away again, the figure at her neck again. They were extremely fast and light on their feet, Bora was impressed. Ducking to the left, Bora dodged another jab and extended her right leg, making the person jump over her from their momentum. She took the opportunity to throw her body against theirs, sending them flying into a wall. Bora didn’t waste time, sprinting forward and making her own attempt at slashing their neck, although they were ready for it. As her dagger came within inches of their throat, a gloved hand violently gripped her wrist, freezing her entire body. Bora’s dagger tip was almost touching the person’s neck, and she struggled to push it forward, but the strength in which her hand was stopped was too much. 

She found it odd as the agent only sat there, seemingly fine with just holding Bora’s wrist one milimeter away from piercing her skin. It seemed like the person was taking the time to assess Bora, and a second later, Bora was flipped on her back. She coughed a few times before sensing movement on her right, quickly rolling to the side and hearing a blade clash on the concrete where she just was. She threw herself up, bending her knees in a defensive stance. This person was strong, and she felt like she had seen their fighting technique before. It was extremely calculating, wherever Bora threw an attack, it seemed the person was already expecting it. They fought cleanly too, not something she saw every day from a Cobra agent. And then it finally clicked.

“Since you don’t want to speak, I’ll ask you a yes or no question and you can answer with your head. Are you following me?” She asked, the person in front of her standing still.

Bora could have sworn she ran into this person before. Their fighting style was too unique. The first time she fought them was a couple months ago when she was on a mission with Minji.

“Come on,” Bora groaned. “You can’t even shake or nod your head? The hell is wrong with you people. Why are you here anyway,” she muttered frustratedly more to herself than anything. 

An answer was definitely not what she was expecting, but neither was the raise of the hand she got in response. Her eyes widened as she watched the person point in her direction, as if responding.

“Me? You’re here because of me? Then you are following me, I knew I’d fought you before.”

The person slightly lowered their hand as if pointing at something in particular. Bora looked down, glancing at her pockets. “What?” She frowned before coming to a realization. “Oh.”

After getting it, the person dropped their hand back to their side. “You want the flashdrive?” Bora asked in genuine curiosity. They didn’t nod their head, but the lack of pointing made her figure that was the answer.

What does Cobra want with it? Bora thought to herself. The flash drive was a list of names from a previously fallen gang, and she was sent here in Moscow to retrieve it. Shrugging, Bora readied her stance. She didn't need to know the reasons.

“Then come and get it."

They fought for what felt like forever, the both of them exchanging small, harmless blows, because that’s all they could manage to get on each other, or at least that’s what Bora claimed. Even though they were an enemy, she couldn't deny the pure talent, and it was beginning to intrigue her. She was enjoying fighting this person a little too much, their skill was high and it gave Bora a thrill. 

“You’re interesting,” Bora smirked as their small blades clashed together, both of them pressing harder and harder to win the strength battle.

It seemed her comment made the person mad, because they suddenly pushed with newfound strength, knocking the dagger out of Bora’s hand. The Cobra agent’s hand also flew forward from the sudden lack of restraint, knife slicing along Bora’s collarbone. Bora jumped back, slightly wincing at the sting of the cut, but getting more excited from it than anything. Before she could recover, she didn't have time to see them lunge towards her, feeling a hand wrap tightly around her throat. Bora gasped as her back slammed against a brick building, the roughness being something new from the enemy. Maybe she misjudged them, gave them too much credit. She grit her teeth, struggling as the grip became tighter and tighter, blocking her airway. But even still, she noticed how it was clean. Rather than attempting to crush her trachea like most agents do, this person was pressing tightly to specifically block her breathing, that was it. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Bora saw the person’s free hand move to her pocket, the one that was holding the flashdrive. In a last ditch effort, Bora weakly launched her left hand forward, gripping their wrist. Her sleeve had bunched up from the sudden movement, exposing her skin and the silver bracelet that was safely wrapped around her wrist. As the person looked down to shake Bora’s hand off, Bora felt them freeze, and the grip on her throat hesitated. It was the first time Bora had felt any sort of lack of conviction or hesitation from them, and though she wanted to ponder it, she used the opportunity to try and break free.

With her other hand, Bora grabbed the wrist that held her neck and used it to jump and kick the enemy away. While the person was disoriented for a moment, Bora took the second to catch her breath, gasping for air. It was almost a stalemate of sorts, neither of them moving for an attack even knowing that it was the best time for one, seeing as they stood vulnerable. But Bora didn’t move, and neither did they. She leaned against the wall, tilting her head back as she took heavy breaths and slowly slid down to where she could sit. Bringing her head back down, Bora looked at the agent who was slowly standing up. For some odd reason, Bora didn’t feel threatened, despite the fact that she was almost just choked to death. 

“Sit down, have a rest,” Bora nodded to the concrete. “Unless you don’t need one.”

The person stood there, not taking a seat despite Bora’s offer. Figuring it was probably for the better, Bora’s tongue swiped over her bottom lip.

“I like your stamina.”

She saw the agent reach for something in their back pocket, and as Bora stood up to get ready for the next round, a pair of voices started coming closer and closer to the alleyway. The person froze, glancing at the main street before looking back at Bora. Frowning, Bora got ready to lunge. If they weren’t going to make the first move, she would. They were practically left open anyway, and Bora saw an opportunity to end the fight for good. But as she was about to make her move, the agent suddenly sprinted away, deeper into the alley. Bora could barely blink by the time she was gone, and a part of her knew she should have chased after them and killed them, but she didn’t. She blamed it on the pure fatigue from the day. Sighing, Bora bent down and picked her dagger up.

“What a boring ending.”


	3. incredulous

Bora slammed her hands down on the table, leaning over it. “I want to see what’s on the flashdrive, Wooseok,” she demanded. “I’m the one who brought it back, I deserve to at least see it.”

It had been over a month since Bora got back from Russia, and ever since handing the flash drive over, she’s been asking every day to see what’s on it. Technically, she knew it held the names of older gang members. But ever since that Cobra agent expressed desire in the object, Bora’s curiosity grew. It made her wonder if there was something on that flash drive that the Government was overlooking, or maybe, hiding. She wouldn’t put too much thought into the last possibility, because it could be dangerous territory to get sucked into.

“No,” Wooseok spoke simply, not lifting his eyes from his book as he sat safely behind his desk. “Do not forget your place. Agents don’t ask questions. If something’s important, we’ll tell you.”

Bora used to be fine with that. She used to not care at all about what she was doing, and really, she still didn’t. However, as she thought about incidents over the years, and now this, she was starting to wonder. It felt like everything was controlled, what she and other agents got to see and believe. She was the leader of the Control unit, so what harm would it do to let her see the names off the flash drive? It wasn’t sitting well with her at all.

As she was about to argue back, the door behind them opened, making her pause and turn to see who interrupted. “Yoohyeon?” She asked as she furrowed her eyebrows.

The silver haired girl sighed as she walked in, grabbing Bora’s shoulder. “Sorry Wooseok,” she apologized with a small bow. “I’ll take this dumbass out of here.”

Bora pushed Yoohyeon off her, not wanting to leave until she got answers. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Minji and I heard you were causing trouble again so I came down here to stop you from doing something stupid,” Yoohyeon crossed her arms. “Let’s go.”

Shaking her head to protest, Bora was about to speak before being cut off by a deeper voice.

“Bora,” Wooseok spoke behind them. “I suggest you leave.”

She narrowed her eyes, glancing back at the man who was now looking at her, then back to Yoohyeon. “Whatever,” she muttered as she pushed by Yoohyeon’s shoulder, leaving the room in a tantrum. Her friend followed closely behind, waiting until the door shut before addressing her.

“What were you thinking?” Yoohyeon stopped Bora from storming down the hallway.

“Do you never have any doubts?” Bora asked as she turned around. “Everything is so secretive, why? I would get it if we’re normal civilians, but we’re not. We’ve been here since we were kids.”

Yoohyeon softened up a little, but her eyes were still slightly worried. “It’s not our place, Bora. We’ve always known that. Why are you now just questioning things anyway?”

Bora moved her lips to respond, but quickly shut them. She hadn’t told her friends about her run in with the Cobra agent that night in Russia, nor did she plan on it. How exactly was she supposed to just casually admit she let the enemy get away, and even worse, found them interesting? She couldn’t. She couldn’t say that she was doubting things because of one small action from someone under Cobra, one of the biggest criminal organizations. Might as well just admit to treason while she was at it. Of course she trusted her friends, but that was the thing. She didn’t know if she trusted herself on this one. Clearly she wasn’t thinking straight, or else she would have killed that agent that night and never looked back.

Sighing, Bora lightly shook her head. “I don’t know,” she lied. “I’ve just been on edge recently. I guess my unanswered questions for Siyeon’s death are tearing me apart.”

Empathy filled Yoohyeon’s eyes, taking a step closer and giving Bora a quick hug. “I didn’t know her, but I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have wanted you to endanger yourself and your career for her.”

“It’s not for her,” Bora spoke quietly. She didn’t know how it didn’t bother anyone else, or maybe she was just too bothered by it, rational thoughts clouded by the past. “It’s for logical reasons. There was no reason to throw away her life.”

Bora felt Yoohyeon let go of the hug, stepping back. “You just don’t know the reason, Bora. They wouldn’t have done it for no reason.”

She wanted to argue back, but she realized long ago that it was useless. It seemed no one she talked to shared her sentiments, and that was something she had to figure out herself. Not saying why you sent an agent that you spent years training to her death was a red flag to Bora. Not to mention the fact that there was no funeral. Letting out a deep breath, Bora pushed the thoughts out of her head. Maybe she really was just thinking irrationally, because she felt like she was going crazy, being the only person to have these questions. She had to let go of it, she knew that. It had been a little over a year, it was time she left it in the past.

“You’re right,” she shrugged, beginning to walk down the hallway. “I’ll get over it, I’m sorry. I’m gonna go train for a bit.”

Yoohyeon only watched her walk away with worry in her eyes, but knew Bora was headstrong, and probably just needed to be alone for a bit. 

“Don’t overwork yourself,” Bora heard her friend call out. 

Bora chuckled before turning the corner, out of sight. She glanced down at the bracelet clasped around her wrist. Bora wished more than anything that she could talk to Siyeon one last time, or even just hear what the last conversation was between the agent and her superiors. Accepting she’d never get that chance, Bora lifted her eyes back up, noticing a smaller girl walking down the hallway in her direction. She had never seen this girl before, which was odd because this was the Control unit’s headquarters, and Bora knew everyone. She was pretty, long dark hair with beautiful eyes, though she seemed significantly younger. Checking out her clothing, Bora’s eyes widened as they ran over a white band on her thigh.

Spectre B06.

Before she could even stop herself, Bora’s lips moved on their own. “Hey!” She called out, causing the girl to stop.

“Hey?” The girl sounded confused, but sort of friendly at the same time.

“You’re from Spectre?” Bora asked as she walked up, the girl nodding. 

“Yeah, actually, this is my first time here,” she scratched the back of her neck. “I’m supposed to go to the meeting room, though I can’t seem to find it.”

“Oh!” Bora lit up. “I can take you, I’m the leader of the Spectre unit, Kim Bora.” She held out her hand, the girl in front of her looking at it like it was made of gold. She hesitantly reached out, as if expecting Bora to pull her hand away.

“I’m Lee Gahyeon,” she responded timidly as their hands connected. “It’s really nice to meet you.”

Bora smiled brightly, trying to make the girl comfortable, letting go of the handshake. “Can I ask what a Spectre agent is doing here? If I’m not mistaken your headquarters is a couple hours away, and I’ve also never seen someone from Spectre in here.”

“I’m being moved,” Gahyeon explained. “I put in a request a few months ago, and didn’t really expect anything to come from it because as far as I know, only a couple people have ever been allowed to transfer from Spectre. But here I am, and I guess I have to go to the meeting room to put in an application for a partner.

Nodding excitedly, Bora grinned almost mischievously. “Really? Well we can skip that part then, I already have someone who needs a partner, and you seem nice enough.”

Gahyeon’s eyes lit up, weight visibly lifting off her shoulders. “Thank you so much,” she gave a small bow. “Thank you for being so welcoming, this place and the people here are the complete opposite compared to the Spectre headquarters.”

“Really?” Bora tilted her head. “I’ve never heard about anything from the Spectre unit, so I’ll take your word. Actually, could I ask why you requested to be transferred?”

The light in the girl’s eyes suddenly dimmed, but not entirely. More like they had remembered something, and there was a flash of sadness yet bitterness in them. “Someone hurt me a lot, and being there only made the pain worse I guess."

“Ah,” Bora nodded understandingly. “Well I’m glad you got permission to transfer then. We’ll take good care of you here, just don’t talk to Wooseok. That guy’s an ass.”

She earned a chuckle from the smaller girl. “I’ll keep that in mind,” Gahyeon smiled lightly. Bora turned around, pointing down the hallway. 

“I need to get the partnership papers from a nearby room, you can follow if you’d like, and I can show you around a little.”

The girl nodded, following her down the hallway. Bora showed her the floor with the training facility, explaining how things worked and all that. She then showed her the meeting room, and the place where they were briefed for missions. After a few more places, Bora decided that was probably good enough for now, so she walked to the targeted printer room.

“This building is a lot better than the Spectre headquarters,” Gahyeon beamed as they walked into the smaller room, the door closing behind them.

“It’s an alright place,” Bora chuckled, grabbing the papers out of a file cabinet. She sat down at a small circular table, going through the documents. Gahyeon sat down next to her, glancing at the papers.

“Just read through and sign a few of these,” Bora instructed as she slid the papers over along with a pen.

Gahyeon did as she was told, and Bora waited patiently, observing the girl. She silently wondered how Gahyeon was chosen for a unit like Spectre. Based on the formula for evaluations, the girl seemed too… Kind hearted or soft to have been picked. In fact, Bora was certain Gahyeon would be best suited for the technology and scientific unit, H2.

“Do you like fighting?” Bora asked out of the blue, surprising the girl. Gahyeon looked up from the papers, confusion on her face.

“Do I like fighting?”

Bora nodded. “Weird question I know, but I’m just wondering about something.”

The girl’s eyes visibly went into deep thought, but then there was that similar flash of bitterness. “I didn’t, but I grew to like it,” she answered quietly. “I wasn’t really good at it at first, but I was thrown in the Spectre unit because of my speed. I struggled a lot with training, to the point where I wanted to give up. A senior approached me one time when we were younger after she saw me crying alone in the training room. She honestly didn’t say much, yet I felt comforted. After that day, she began to help train me after her own grueling sessions. Now that I think about it, she must have been exhausted, but she never showed it.”

Hearing her story, Bora couldn’t figure out why there was hurt in her eyes. Whoever this senior was seemed nice. Maybe something went wrong, and maybe that senior was only doing it for her own benefit, Bora didn’t know. Although it reminded her of the times she and Siyeon would help each other with their training at the end of the day to do everything to ensure the younger girl would make it to Control with Bora. A bad taste was left in her mouth after remembering how that turned out.

“Sounds similar to someone I knew,” Bora smiled halfheartedly. Gahyeon’s eyes snapped up to her in surprise.

“You knew someone in Spectre?” She asked, almost in awe. “Not many of us get to talk to units outside of our own. I’d probably actually know them.”

Bora nodded, letting out a small breath. “I met her before she was in Spectre, so that’s probably why.” She swallowed all the bad things she wanted to say about that facility. “Her name was Siyeon, I only knew her for four years but I would have done anything for her.”

The girl went pale, her eyes widening. “Did you just say Siyeon? As in Lee Siyeon?”

“Yeah,” Bora confirmed slowly, wondering if she had just said something wrong. There was a sudden flash of anger through Gahyeon’s eyes again. “Wait-”

“Siyeon is who I’m talking about,” Gahyeon spoke coldly. “She’s the senior who helped me, and she’s the one who selfishly left.”

Bora furrowed her eyebrows, completely confused by the entire situation. “You can stop me if you don’t want to talk about it,” she hesitantly pressed forward. “But what do you mean selfishly left?”

The girl took a deep breath before staring down at her hands. “Siyeon only cared about herself, and that's why she died. I begged her repeatedly to stop asking questions, and she didn’t. She was the only friend I made while being in Spectre, so when she died I couldn’t stand being there anymore.”

Though Bora had no idea what the girl meant about Siyeon only caring about herself, it was evident in Gahyeon’s body language that she didn’t actually believe what she was saying. The girl must have been extremely distraught over Siyeon’s death, and rightfully so. What Bora was interested in was the part where Gahyeon said she wished Siyeon had stopped asking questions. Questions about what? She wanted to know, but she didn’t want to be insensitive.

“I’m sorry for what happened,” Bora said honestly. “I wish I was able to find out what was so important that night for her to be sent out.”

“Let me guess,” Gahyeon laughed humorlessly as she looked up at Bora. “No answers?”

Bora shook her head sadly, and Gahyeon smiled in response. “Yeah, same here. We were told it was to conceal a secret, but whatever secret that was, I have no idea, and I guess I’ll never know.”

“That’s our job,” Bora shrugged defeatedly. “We do things without being told why.”

Gahyeon sighed tiredly. “Yeah, it’s whatever I guess. I’ll see her again someday and I’ll tell her how much of an idiot she is.”

“Well don’t see her too soon,” a kind smile pulled at Bora’s lips. “I think the person I have in mind for your partner will like you, and I’d like for you to be around for a while.”

The girl looked like she was about to cry for a moment before smiling. “I’ll try and stay around.”

They finished up the paperwork and then Bora ended the tour, seeing how it was getting pretty late. Gahyeon was a good kid, trusting yet not too trusting. She honestly wanted to talk about Siyeon a little more, ask about what she was like and how she was doing all those years Bora left her. But at the same time, Bora was a little too scared to hear the potential answers. Maybe some things were better left in the dark.

Once she had said goodbye to the younger girl, Bora went back to the dorm, feeling almost too tired to even walk. She swung the door open, revealing a panicked scene in the kitchen with Yoohyeon running with a burning pan and Minji putting out a small fire at the stove. Bora sighed, kicking off her shoes and walking in.

“Another day in paradise, I see,” she muttered to Yubin who was just calmly watching the scene unfold from the kitchen counter. The girl looked at her, a small chuckle barely escaping her throat.

“Hey, free entertainment is free entertainment.”

Bora snorted, sitting next to her. “True,” she said as she rested her head on her hand. “Oh, by the way, I assigned you a partner today. She’s a sweet girl, take care of her.”

“What?” Yubin’s eyes darted to Bora, the casualness in which the older woman dropped the news surprising her.

“You heard me. Wooseok won’t get off my ass about you not having a partner, and today, the opportunity was handed to me on a silver platter.”

“Bora-”

“If you want to argue, do it with Wooseok,” Bora slid off the bar stool with a yawn. “I can’t put it off any longer without it being obvious I’m just not giving you a partner.”

“Fine,” the girl muttered. “I guess it was time anyway.”

Bora patted her on the back before walking to her room. “Sorry, but you won’t be disappointed. She really does seem to be nice. Anyway, tell those two idiots I went to bed whenever they’re done.”

As Bora got to her room, she closed the door, letting out a deep breath. She had thought more about Siyeon today than she had for almost a year. Every part of her wanted to investigate more, and ask questions, but Bora wouldn’t. She had to let go. It didn’t make it any easier though. Flopping down on her bed with a heavy sigh, Bora made a resolution to move on, for the sake of her mentality and maybe even her life. Enjoying the silence, she felt like she was about to pass out before her phone buzzed, indicating a notification. She groaned, rolling over and pulling it out of her pocket. Her eyes squinted as she unlocked it, the glow of the screen illuminating the room and partially blinding her. Letting her eyes roam over the notification, she frowned as she read the small text.

In short, it was a notification from her superiors letting her know she'd be dispatched on a sudden mission in the next couple days. It was an automated message, but Bora had the urge to just text them back and tell them to shut up so she could sleep. Deciding that wasn't the best idea, she sighed with irritation as she locked her phone, tossing it to the side. She guessed she'd be briefed on it early tomorrow morning, meaning sleep wasn't in her favor tonight. Turning on her side, she could only hope it wasn't in some far away country again, as planes weren't her favorite. She'd push that worry aside for now, instead, choosing to focus on getting much needed rest for the days to come.


	4. steel

Bora stepped off the plane feeling slightly sick. It wasn’t even that long of a flight and yet she already never wanted to step foot on an aircraft again. Unluckily for her, her job was mainly about traveling. Yawning as she walked down the terminal, Bora skipped any food places, seeing as she already had to hurry as it was. Her mission was tonight, which irritated her to an extreme. She hated having things to do the day of traveling, and always preferred to travel the day before. However, it seemed that wasn’t possible this time seeing how sudden this whole thing was discovered. Bora honestly had no idea what the hell she was here to do, and now she was regretting being half asleep during her briefing yesterday.

Getting in a taxi, Bora used the hour long ride to go over her documents and basically retell herself what she was here to do since she didn’t listen the first time. As her eyes scanned the lengthy documents, Bora got the general consensus that she was supposed to investigate a warehouse. Apparently this warehouse was used by Nine, a criminal organization who specializes in arms trafficking, also known to be one of Cobra’s rivals. Bora had been assigned on quite a few cases involving Nine in the past, and they weren’t anything to laugh at. She’d say they were close to being on par with Cobra, but lacked in numbers compared. However, what they seemed to be exceptionally good at is going under the radar, so Bora wasn’t sure how accurate this warehouse tip would be. Nonetheless, she’d carry out her mission either way.

Plugging in the location into her phone, Bora frowned, seeing how out of the way it was. It would be about a forty minute walk out from the small town she was headed to, and though she could probably have the driver drop her off there, in the event that there were guards spread out around the area she decided to walk.

And so she did. After dropping off her bag at a hotel, Bora strapped her pistol to her side, concealing a couple knives and began her walk to the warehouse. It should be worth noting that her mission documents stated that there was a trade happening having to do with Nine, though it wasn’t certain if that trade was partaking in this specific area. Basically, this is one of the few locations that the Government can identify as a place used by Nine, however, if it was still active, she didn’t know. The main reason she was sent here tonight was to figure out if that trade was happening in the warehouse, and at this point, she could only hope.

The sun had disappeared by the time she was almost there, nothing around but an almost unused road and miles of trees. There was no sign or trail leading to this certain warehouse, so she had to rely on coordinates to get her there. After walking through seemingly endless bushes and trees, Bora saw a large concrete building that looked rather run down. She locked her phone, shoving it in her back pocket and quietly walked up. Slowly peeking her head around the corner, Bora looked around for any guards that might be there, and after seeing none, she walked up to the entrance, putting her hand on the door handle before stopping. Her eyes traveled down, inspecting fallen leaves and worn down pieces of grass. She bent down, spotting a small drop of dried blood staining a brown leaf. Narrowing her eyes, Bora stood back up, pulling out her pistol. The crimson liquid may have been dry, but it wasn’t that old. She checked the other side of the entrance, seeing a few droplets of blood as well, giving her a theory that there were guards at some point, but were now disposed of. Whoever the perpetrator was went through great lengths to hide it, as their bodies were missing, and the small amount of blood could have easily been overlooked, indicating the method of murder was extremely clean.

A small smile pulled at Bora’s lips in excitement, wondering if she’d get to have a little fun, or if the person had already left. Refocusing on her mission, Bora quietly placed her hand over a metal handle, turning it and opening the door. As she pushed it open, the door creaked, echoing through the dark hallways. She winced, wondering if it was too much to ask for that no one heard it, if there was anyone here. Cautiously stepping in, Bora closed the door behind her before glancing left to right. There were no lights on, but she could tell the hallway went either way, so she started down the right hallway first. Using her phone flashlight to navigate, Bora noticed occasional blood splatters on the grey concrete walls and white tile floor. Unlike the blood outside, these splatters were definitely old, maybe years old. Taking a few pictures of the walls for her report later, Bora stopped as she got to the end of the hallway, noticing a flickering light coming from around the corner. She turned off the flashlight on her phone, sliding it back in her pocket. Slowly walking up to the corner, Bora carefully looked around the wall, seeing a dangling lightbulb from the ceiling being the culprit of the sporadic pulses of almost green tinted light. 

She cautiously began walking down the dimly lit hallway, the flickering being enough for her to see where she was going, and also the various closet doors. She peeked into a few of them, finding them empty. There wasn’t much space in the small closets, and it seemed they were likely made to be used to put cleaning supplies in and nothing else. She wasn’t even sure if it were big enough to fit more than one person. The whole scene was admittedly rather eerie, the flickering of the light also making a small noise each time it went on and off. The hallway was only illuminated for short flashes, and it was making Bora feel like she was in a picture book or something.

As she continued to navigate the empty hallway, Bora’s investigation came to halt as she heard footsteps echoing behind her. Realizing she was stuck in the middle of the hallway, Bora hid in the nearest closet, quickly closing the door behind her. There wasn’t a whole lot of room, but there was enough for her to move her limbs without too much restriction. Bringing her hand to her side to try and pull out her pistol, Bora felt her skin touch something cold, causing her to jump in surprise. She slowly looked to her left, lifeless eyes staring right back at her. She threw her hand over her mouth in an attempt to muffle the sharp gasp that left her lips, realizing she was sharing the small space with a dead body that was shoved into the corner. His hands were tied, and his entire neck was red, revealing a small slash around the middle. Bora could see a small tattoo on his forearm, the number nine detailed in a gothic font. She wondered if he was one of the guards that was outside.

Bora touched his hand again, determining how long he had been dead for. Her eyes widened, feeling that his bones and joints weren’t entirely stiff yet. In fact, she was sure that rigor mortis hadn’t even begun yet, so she was looking at less than three hours since he had died. Who had killed him, and was that person or people still here? Before she could think about it more, she heard the footsteps in the hallway get closer and closer before stopping, seemingly right in front of the closet. Bora’s breathing stopped, and her heart pounded.

“Hey,” she heard a deep voice call out. Her eyes grew wide as she heard a hand fall on the closet handle, watching as the doorknob slowly turned. “Wasn’t it here that we were supposed to grab supplies for Itsuki?”

The door cracked open, but stopped as the man responded. “Are you new here?” The other man almost laughed, using a berating tone. Bora held her breath as she prayed for the door to stay shut. “Supplies aren’t in this wing, shut up and keep following me.”

The door handle wiggled as the hand fell off of it, and Bora let out a quiet breath of relief. “My apologies.” 

Their footsteps echoed through the hallway again, and she could practically feel the anxiety leave her as the door was untouched, though slightly cracked open. She was pretty sure Itsuki was one of the higher ranking officers in Nine, making her think that the trade tonight was in fact going down here. It also seemed that they weren’t aware the guards outside were dead, either. Waiting for the footsteps to disappear, Bora finally stuck her head out, looking around the hallway to see if it was clear. Confirming that it was, she whispered a small goodbye to the dead man, sarcastically thanking him for the hospitality. She reached the end of the hallway, and there were two directions she could go. She was pretty sure she had heard the footsteps take the right route, so she in turn followed, a little quicker to try and catch up.

As Bora weaved through different hallways, she was starting to wonder where the ‘warehouse’ part was, this place seeming to be more of a maze than anything. She actually had no idea how she’d find her way out of here. There were so many different doors, almost none of them leading to anything, and it felt like their only use was to be confusing. However, realistically she knew all these mini storage closets were used to keep orders separate at some point in time. Based on what that Nine agent spoke of, it seemed that there were designated areas for different contents inside the closets. She walked a little further before hearing a door open and close down the next hallway. Peeking around the corner, she saw two steel doors firmly closed, and she figured that’s where agents she was following went.

Approaching the doors, Bora put her ear to them, hearing numerous muffled voices. There was no possible way to tell how many there were, so she decided to very carefully push one of the doors open, sticking her head through in hopes that no one was looking in her direction. As the room came into view, she finally realised why this place was called a warehouse. It was a massive open space, metal shelving placed around with wooden crates stacked on top of eachother. You could probably fit over five planes in there, open space being plentiful but utilised well. Her eyes fell on a large group of people, and it surprised her. There were at least twenty of them, and she’d say it’d be closer to thirty. They were all some form of a weapon, and Bora suddenly wondered what the hell she was supposed to do against so many. She knew she had to retrieve the briefcase that held the cash, but how she was supposed to do that, she wasn’t sure. 

As she was about to back off and think about it, Bora suddenly heard voices coming from behind her, and she froze, realizing she was out in the open. There was nowhere to hide either, as this hallway was short but open, no doors besides the steel ones behind her. Her time to come up with a plan wasn’t long enough as she saw two men turn the corner, their legs halting upon seeing her.

“Who the hell are you?” One of them furrowed their eyebrows, reaching his hand behind his back presumably to pull out a pistol. 

Bora moved first, quickly pulling her own gun out, and taking the first shot. Her bullet ripped through his arm, causing it to fall limp with a scream of pain. She knew with the loud gunshot, she’d be heard from the other room as well, not giving her much time. The other agent moved to take out his gun as well but was too slow, Bora already having her sights aimed at him and squeezing the trigger. She shot twice, one bullet digging into his chest, and the other into his skull. His lifeless body fell to the floor, and Bora sprinted forward, sending a kick into the last man’s gut. He fell against the wall, and she pulled out her dagger to finish him off but the doors behind her swung open, a bullet grazing past her shoulder. She quickly ran out of the hallway, speed on her side as she weaved through the dark corridors. Her heart was pounding, not from fear, but from excitement. This was about to be a big game of hide and seek almost, and if she could split the group up, she’d have more of a chance.

“Split up and find the rat!” She heard a commanding voice reverberate throughout the building, the sound of heavy footsteps accompanying it.

“Rat?” She frowned, whispering to herself as she turned a corner before planting her feet, stopping in place. “How rude.”

A man flew around the corner, Bora staying against the wall so he didn’t see her. As he ran by her, she jumped out, grabbing his neck and throwing him to the floor. His head slammed against the hard tile with so much force she was sure it’d be an instant concussion, though it didn’t stop him from moving his lips.

“She’s right he-“

His voice was cut off as her knife slid across his throat, red liquid pouring out as if waiting patiently for the release. “Don’t be such a snitch,” she rolled her eyes before hearing something behind her.

Instinctively dodging, Bora saw a boot fly by her head, her eyes widening as she turned, catching a wrist that was holding a blade, heading towards her own neck. 

“Be careful with that,” she grit her teeth as she stood up, throwing his hand against the wall and then delivering a solid punch to his jaw. Bora didn’t have time to finish him before another man swung at her, forcing her to let go of the man’s wrist and jump back to create distance. The flickering lights weren’t helping as she tried to track their movement, and as she saw him prepare to strike, her judgement was skewed, misinterpreting the timing. Making a sharp step to the left, Bora waited too long and the man was able to correct his position just at the last second. She felt a sharp sting in her abdomen as a blade very shallowly sliced across it, ruining her shirt too. The man moved to throw a punch with his free hand, but Bora caught his hand in her own, holding him in place as she sent a knee to his ribs. He shuffled back with a cough, but Bora quickly removed the distance as she pulled out her own dagger, thrusting it up in his stomach. She gave it a twist before yanking it out, his knees instantly buckling. Bora didn’t have time to ensure his death as she heard more footsteps coming her way. Using the few seconds of freedom, Bora sprinted away, trying to split up the pack a little more.

Maybe she was a rat, because it honestly felt like she was in a cage, running around blindly. Bora managed to survive a few more encounters with Nine agents, although not entirely unscathed. She had a few minor cuts to show for it, and the main thing that was struggling was her stamina. It wasn't easy throwing around men twice her weight, and her arms were feeling weak. She leaned against the concrete wall for a moment, her chest heaving up and down as she caught her breath. It seemed she had lost them for the time being, but she knew it wouldn’t last long, because it’s not like this place was endless. In fact, she already heard distant footsteps coming in her direction. She glanced down at the gash across her abdomen, and she was pretty sure she had made the wound worse by running and fighting so much. If she kept it up, she might actually have a chance at winning, but it seemed like no matter how many she took out, they just kept coming. It’s to be expected when you’re in enemy territory she guessed. Taking one last deep breath, Bora pushed herself off the wall and braced herself for the next fight.

Two of them came around the corner, stopping in their tracks as Bora stood in the middle of the hallway. She held her dagger tightly as she was trying to preserve the ammo for her pistol. Waiting for them to make the first move, Bora frowned, quickly becoming impatient. 

“I know I’m pretty,” she cocked her head confidently. “But are you guys just gonna stand there all day or do something?”

They frowned, and the man with the longer hair spoke first. “Who do you work for?”

Bora shook her head. “Not telling,” she replied.

“Then we’ll find out when you’re dead,” he snarled, and she couldn’t help but smile, getting the reaction she wanted so easily. 

They pulled out their own knives, standing side by side before charging in Bora’s direction. She narrowed her eyes, observing their movements like she was conducting her own self study. The man with the longer was the first to strike, and she watched carefully as he planted his right foot before extending his arm, the sharp blade missing Bora’s ear by a centimeter as she easily sidestepped. She pulled her own arm back to deliver a blow to the back of his neck, but as she threw her movement forward, fingers wrapped around her wrist, stopping it. Her head snapped to the side, seeing the other man holding her arm back. She was about to twist to get out of his grip before movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, a fist cleanly connecting with her jaw before she could dodge. She reeled back from the sudden lack of restraint, spitting out blood as she repositioned herself. They seemed to be used to fighting as a pair, and that made things for Bora slightly harder, though her confidence didn’t waver. She just had to make necessary adjustments in her loose fighting style. Flipping the dagger between her fingers, Bora clasped the handle in her palm before moving in for an attack.

Her first strike was blocked, her wrist crashing against a thicker one. Her free hand was already soaring up, sending an uppercut to his jaw. As he was disoriented for a moment, Bora quickly ducked, a knife slicing the air where her head was. She spun around on her knees before leaning back against her hands, delivering a forceful kick against the man’s groin. He fell to his knees in pain, keeling over, giving Bora an opening to plunge her dagger through his back. Throwing herself up, Bora drove her sharp blade through his flesh, but quickly jumped back as a hand reached for her throat. She wasn’t quick enough to evade it, a tight grip trapping her trachea between rough fingertips. She choked as he lifted her body up by her neck before slamming her back against the hard floor. Bora grit her teeth as she felt her airway being forcefully closed, gasping for air that she knew she couldn’t get anyway, the man directly on top of her. Reaching up, she placed her hand on the back of his head before forcing it down, lifting her head to meet his, crashing their skulls together. The grip on her throat faltered with the force, giving her the opportunity to kick him off of her.

Bora gasped for air as she quickly stood up, taking a few steps back in an attempt to catch her breath. He didn’t give her much time as he got to his feet, storming forward, grabbing her shirt and throwing her against the wall. Bora stumbled for a moment, her eyes widening as she saw a fist in front of her flying towards her face. She rolled to the right, effectively evading the attack, his fist crashing against the concrete wall. Bora didn’t take more than a second to counter, grabbing his hair and yanking him to the floor. She dropped down, placing her knee against his chest and grabbing a knife off the bloodied floor. Bora plunged the sharp blade into his lung, a scream escaping his throat. She frowned, the noise definitely giving her location away. She stood up, the toe of her boot crushing his cheek bone as she swung her leg. Shuffling back, Bora stood there as she caught her breath. She looked around at the floor to see where she had dropped her dagger, spotting it a few feet away. Bending down to pick it up, Bora heard multiple pairs of footsteps rushing down the hallway in her direction. She silently cursed, biting her lip as she took off in the opposite direction. 

As the minutes passed by, Bora’s stamina was depleting with each drop of blood she lost. It almost felt like a hunt at this point, and she was the poor deer being chased. She briefly contemplated an escape attempt, but Bora hadn’t got to the briefcase yet, nor had she gotten to see who Nine were meeting with. She swallowed dryly as she hid around a corner, back pressed against the wall. Bora pulled out her phone, opening her conversation with Minji. She began attaching the pictures she had taken earlier along with details she had observed. As she was typing, a loud gunshot cracked through the air, destroying the phone that was in her hands, reducing it to pieces. Her head flew up, looking down the hallway as a man lowered his gun and began running towards her. 

“Shit,” she whispered before turning the corner and sprinting away. She managed to evade another bullet as he turned the corner, and Bora didn’t stop running until she was sure she had lost him. Her luck didn’t last long as she heard voices from the opposite end of the hallway, and footsteps behind her. Her eyes darted around the dim hallway, trying to come up with a plan but failing. Both of her exits were about to be blocked, and in less than a minute she’d be pinched. This is why she hated going into places that didn’t have blueprints, as there was no time to prepare escape routes, and you were always at a disadvantage in terms of spatial awareness.

Figuring now was the time to use her pistol, she reached behind her to pull it out. As she unclipped it from it’s holster, Bora’s body jumped upon feeling a gloved hand clasp around her mouth from behind, an arm wrapping around her waist. The pistol in her hand fell to the floor, and she wasn’t able to retrieve it. She inhaled sharply as she was forcefully pulled back, the arm around her waist pressing roughy against the gash on her abdomen. Her vision was quickly taken away with a door closing in front of her, her eyes not accustomed to the darkness of the small closet. She struggled against the body she felt against her back, trying to push away but not having the room to do so. In fact, even if she wasn’t being held back, she wouldn’t be able to move forward anyway, as the door was only inches away from her face. She tried opening her mouth to say something, but couldn’t do so as the hand was tightly keeping her mouth closed.

“Shhh,” she heard the person behind her whisper against her ear.

It was definitely a feminine voice, and she could tell by the height of their chest that the person was probably only a few inches taller than her. Their grip was strong nonetheless, and Bora eventually quit trying to free herself. The way she was tightly held back against their body, it was useless. Plus, she heard footsteps coming closer outside, so even if she could free herself, then what? With her mind giving up the idea of escaping, she quickly realised exactly what situation she was in, and began to become curious. As the girl behind her felt Bora calm down, the hand that was clasped around her mouth relaxed, slowly sliding down to wrap around her neck instead. Bora quietly gasped, her head tilting back slightly as she felt the gloved fingers spreading across her throat like a spider. The grip was strong but not tight, almost like a collar on a dog, purely there for insurance and control.

“Who are you?” Bora whispered while her vision adjusted to the dark closet, not receiving an answer. She frowned, tilting her head down as much as she could to examine the hand around her waist, Her eyes squinted, trying to make out what she saw. The glove was black, wrapping up to their forearm, and that was all that Bora could make out.

“If you’re not gonna let me go, can you at least move your hand? It’s pushing against a fairly deep gash, kind of hurts.” Bora didn’t expect the person to comply, and she requested it more out of a dark sense of humor than anything. But to her surprise, she felt the arm that was wrapped around her waist lower a little bit, fingers pressing against her side causing Bora’s breath to become slightly uneven. Despite the fact that she had no idea what this person wanted or who they were, Bora couldn’t help the way her body began to feel slightly hotter. She began to turn her head out of curiosity, the hold against her neck tightening in response but not enough to forcefully stop her.

The first thing she noticed made her entire body freeze, her lips parting in shock. It was hard to see the fine details from the lack of light, but the girl’s face was so close to hers, that Bora could still barely make out the black mask that covered half of their face closest to her. The other half seemed to have broken off due to the uneven and rough split down the middle.

“Cobra,” she whispered under her breath as she stared in disbelief and confusion. She could tell the girl was looking back at her by the light from the small crack of the door reflecting in her dark visible eye. Bora couldn’t make out anything else besides a dark strand of hair that fell against the girl’s face. The height, the way she was being handled, the lack of responses, Bora was sure this was the same Cobra agent she had been running into. However, in the previous situation, the girl found her to take the flashdrive, whereas this time, it seemed they were both here out of coincidence. The dead guard Bora found in the closet was probably the work of the Cobra agent, and that would mean the girl was here before her.

Bora strained her eyes to make out any other details but failed, and she suddenly wished there was a light to turn on. Why she was so curious to see what the girl looked like, she didn’t know, but she’d confidently say it was so she could identify and kill her later. Definitely not because even from her outline, she looked extremely attractive. Definitely not. Bora turned her head back around to the front, hearing many different pairs of footsteps walking around. Honestly, she’d probably be dead if it weren’t for the girl behind her, as she could only shoot so many people at once.

“Did anyone see where she went?” A voice boomed down the hallway, boots scraping against the ground as he walked by.

She felt the arm around her waist tighten almost protectively, pulling her flush against the girl’s body, as if being closer was even possible. Her breath hitched, feeling the rough texture of the gloves rub against the exposed skin on her neck at the same time, the girl’s hot breath brushing over her ear every few seconds.

“No sir,” she heard a few people answer, bringing her mind back to the situation at hand. Bora wouldn’t admit it, but the feeling of the girl behind her was making it hard to focus on anything besides her touch.

After another minute, the footsteps outside the door began to disappear down the hallway, until there was no one out there that Bora could hear. In fact, the only thing she could hear now was the small breaths of the agent behind her. Bora’s mind finally began to question the motives of the girl, as she didn’t believe that she willingly saved her. Opening her mouth to ask, Bora was cut off as she was roughly pushed against the door, her cheek pressing against the white steel. The arm that had been wrapped around her waist was moved to press against her back, ensuring that she stayed against the door, not that she could really move anyway. The hand around her neck was still there however, lightly pressing against her windpipe just enough to cause slight uncomfort without being life threatening. 

Bora ignored the pleasure she felt from it, feeling her hands being brought behind her back. “Just when I thought we were becoming friends,” she joked humorlessly.

A piece of fabric was wrapped around her wrists numerous times, trapping her hands together, losing the ability to move them. Her body was pushed against the door with more force as the girl tightened the makeshift restraint.

“I didn’t know you were into-“ Bora’s words were cut off as she inhaled sharply, the fabric pinching her skin for a moment. “This kind of thing,” she finished, a smirk ghosting lips with the teasing statement.

As usual, the girl didn’t reply, and instead brushed her hand passed Bora’s waist to open the door, her other hand dropping down to her tied wrists. Cautiously pushing Bora forward, they exited the closet, although not for long. As soon as there was enough space, the girl turned them around, pushing Bora back in. 

“What the hell?” Bora frowned as her back was placed against the wall in the small room. She saw the agent walk closer, the dim light in the hallway not helping expose her features as she had her back to it. 

Bora watched carefully as the taller girl inched closer and closer. If she was going to kill her, she easily could, as her hands were restrained behind her back. And maybe that’s why Bora felt a small amount of excitement deep down, watching each movement the agent made with bated breath. The girl seemingly paused for a moment, and based on the way the white part of her eye was moving, Bora was sure the girl was observing her. She saw her head tilt down, seemingly glancing at the wound Bora had mentioned earlier across her abdomen. Bora’s breathing stopped as she saw the girl’s hand begin to hesitantly reach out towards her abdomen. It didn’t get far before suddenly stopping, her fingers enclosing on each other and forming a fist as her hand dropped back to her side, pulling out a black piece of fabric instead. The girl lifted her hands with confidence this time, not faltering as she brought her eyes back up to Bora’s. Bora could only stand there and watch as her vision was taken away from the fabric, feeling fingers brush against her ears as it was tied behind her head.

Bora didn’t expect a free glimpse at what the girl looked like in the light, so she honestly wasn’t surprised as she heard the closet door close, footsteps taking off down the hallway. It made sense, doing something to ensure Bora didn’t happen to see what she looked like. But if that were the case, she was pretty sure it would have been easier to just kill her instead of going through the trouble to blindfold her. Maybe the Cobra agent intended on keeping her there to take as a hostage after this was all done, she didn’t know. That would make the most sense, and it would explain why she kept her alive. Shrugging off the sentiment, Bora didn’t intend on becoming a hostage, and she still had a mission to fulfill. She managed to pull out the knife in her back pocket, using the next however many minutes to attempt to cut the fabric and free herself, all the while hearing screams and gunshots echoing throughout the building.

She didn’t know how much time had passed since being blindfolded, but the gunshots had stopped a while ago, meaning either the agent died, or she got what she wanted. Bora finally freed herself, using her unrestrained hands to take off the blindfold, throwing it on the ground and bursting out the door. She followed the trail of bodies that she was sure she hadn’t killed herself, hoping they would lead them to the Cobra agent. Uneasiness took over her senses as she walked through a familiar hallway, turning a corner and seeing two steel doors, leading to the warehouse part where Bora saw the group of men earlier. She swallowed before walking forward, quietly opening the door and peering in. She saw the black briefcase she needed still on the table, and a wave of relief washed over her before seeing the girl dressed in black walking up to it, a new, unbroken black mask covering the entirety of her face. Bora felt disappointment, and she wasn’t sure if it was because she couldn’t see half of her face anymore, or if it was the fact they were after the same thing.

Quietly walking in, Bora snuck up behind her before pulling out her pistol, lifting it and aiming it at the back of her head. “Put it down,” Bora instructed as the agent wrapped her fingers around the briefcase handle.

The taller girl slowly stopped her movements, but seemed rather unimpressed as she turned around, staring down the barrel of Bora’s pistol. Bora narrowed her eyes, her index finger lightly messaging the trigger. She glanced around for a moment, noticing the numerous dead bodies laid out that she guessed was the work of the agent. Images flashed through her mind of the night a year ago that looked similar to this, only outside in a dull forest.

“You remind me of someone,” she said quietly, lightly shifting the gun in her hand. Turning her head back to look at her, Bora felt something tighten in her chest. “Actually, you remind me a lot of someone. Maybe it’s the fact you’re faceless, and my brain projected her image onto you.”

Maybe that’s why I can’t kill you.

“You two both know how to take down a crowd,” Bora chuckled halfheartedly before putting her focus back on the task at hand. Nothing changed, and she still needed what she came for.

“I need that briefcase,” she spoke again. “Let go of it and I might let you leave here alive.”

Bora could have just pulled the trigger to begin with, saving her the trouble of this whole thing. Usually, that’s exactly what she would have done. However, for some reason, her mind never even considered that as an option this time. It was like she had to coerce the agent to leave the briefcase alone, so that way she wouldn’t have to kill her. Bora wasn’t even thinking about any of that though, her mind already too preoccupied. 

Her finger brushed against the trigger a little closer this time, threatening to shoot if the masked girl didn’t comply. Her patience was wearing thin, the deeply buried care for the girl’s life disappearing almost as quickly as it appeared. This time as her finger shifted around the trigger, she was done wasting time, and her intention to take the shot must have shown in her eyes because the agent immediately jumped into action. Bora could barely blink before the briefcase the girl was holding flew in the air, smacking against the side of her hand with force, sending the pistol she was holding flying across the concrete floor. The sound of steel clashing against the concrete echoed throughout the massive open area, and it was almost like it was the gunshot at the beginning of a race, the two of them springing into action upon the noise. 

It was the Cobra agent who attacked first, her fist heading straight for Bora’s jaw. Bora blocked it, her wrist parrying the punch. The girl’s movement forward didn’t stop, forcing Bora to backtrack a little. Bora bent backwards as an elbow grazed the tip of her nose, almost losing balance. The agent used the momentum of the swing to spin, delivering a forceful side kick into Bora’s stomach. Stumbling back, Bora coughed as the air was knocked out of her, throwing her hands up in defense as the agent pressed forward. She realized she was leaning on defense entirely too much, and would look for an opening.

Bora swiftly blocked punch after punch, tracking the taller girl’s movement perfectly. She seemed to favor her left hand, so as the girl swung with it, Bora dodged to the right. She planted her weight against her right foot as the agent’s fist flew by her cheek and readied her right hand, balling it into a fist and pushing off her planted foot. Her fist slammed into the girl’s gut, sending her reeling backwards. Bora didn’t let her recover, her knuckles chasing after the black mask that was protecting her face. There was an audible crack as she connected a punch to the mask, and by the way her knuckles were throbbing, Bora was sure that noise was them breaking. But it wasn’t, her eyes noticing a small crack in the mask. It didn’t fall apart, but it caused enough of a worry for the agent that she quickly backpedaled, creating space to ensure her mask was intact. 

“Scared to look at me eye to eye?” Bora sneered, shaking off her hand. A part of her wondered if something would feel different if they got to fight face to face. There was a mysterious aura around this girl, and part of it Bora attributed to the mask. She could never tell or guess what she was thinking based on the fact that she couldn’t see her eyes or facial expressions. Once you’re robbed of that, you really begin to realize how important it is to be able to look someone in the eye to see their true intentions. Whatever this person’s intentions were, Bora was pretty sure she was hiding them behind that mask, and god what she would do to just rip it off. If she could get rid of that interference, maybe her mind wouldn’t be in turmoil when it came to the faceless girl. She wanted to smash that mask into thousands of pieces so her morally wrong feelings could crumble along with it.

Bora grit her teeth, pulling out a dagger that was strapped to her thigh. She was done playing games. She was done acting like this person was different from any other Cobra agent. They’re all trash, morally twisted humans that would do anything for money and power. This agent wasn’t any different. She was probably going to take the briefcase full of money back to whatever hole Cobra hides in and hand it over to her superior like a trained dog, waiting for a pat on the head for praise.

It sounded oddly similar to what she was going to do.

She suddenly lunged forward, feeling anger overflowing inside of her which almost never happened. Bora didn’t get overwhelmed by emotions, but right now, she was fuming. The girl dodged to the right, but Bora had already anticipated that, meeting her there. She swiftly slashed at the girl’s neck, her hand moving so fast that there was no time to dodge. The girl grabbed the blade with her gloved hand, stopping it only inches away from her pulse point. Bora’s hand trembled as she pressed forward with all of her strength, the masked agent losing centimeters each second as she struggled against the dagger. Red liquid was starting to trickle down the silver metal, Bora’s blade easily slicing through the girl’s glove. With the strength battle coming to a stalemate, Bora suddenly ripped her dagger out of the agent’s hand, opening a deep gash across her palm. Blood poured out of it, droplets splattering against the concrete. The bloodied hand dropped uselessly to her side, and Bora was thrilled with the small accomplishment.

“What’s wrong?” Bora grinned as the girl kept trying to create distance. Her smile quickly disappeared as anger washed over. “Don’t tell me that’s all you’ve got.”

She closed the distance again, relentlessly slashing away at the injured agent. Bora wasn’t like them. Her job was nothing similar to that of a Cobra agent’s. Sure, they were after the same thing, but not for the same reason. Cobra wanted that money to fund illegal trades and things like that. The government wanted that money to-

Bora’s movements slowed as she tried to finish the thought, but couldn’t. They wanted that money for what? Were they just going to seal it in the evidence department like they apparently did with everything else? No way, there was probably a little under a million in the briefcase. Why was she even here? To stop the trade, but why? What were they trading, and why was her only mission to bring the briefcase back? Why not intel on who the organization was who were coming to pick the money up? Bora realized she knew nothing, and the more she thought about it, the more that black mask in front of her reflected her recent doubts. 

Her eyes barely registered a pistol lifting up to her temple, and at the last second, Bora whipped her arm up, slamming against the wrist that held the gun. A gunshot cracked next to her ear, sending a ringing sensation throughout her eardrums. A bullet flew up to the ceiling, losing it’s trajectory as it ran into the barrier. That bullet was milliseconds away from drilling into Bora’s skull, and after the initial shock wore off, she was able to feel warm liquid coating her right hand. Her eyes traveled down, seeing her dagger plunged deeply into the agent’s abdomen, her blood covering Bora’s hand as it stayed grasped tightly around the handle. Her eyes grew wide, not even remembering when she got to this position. Bora almost felt like she had blacked out from anger, and now, as she lifted her gaze to the mask in front of her, she noticed how few strands of long black hair had fallen out from it’s confinement. 

She quickly let go of the dagger, taking a couple of staggered steps back. There was that uncertainty and indecision again, creeping back into her veins like a drug. Bora watched as the agent pulled out the dagger in her stomach, weakly holding it by her side. Not more than thirty minutes ago, this girl had saved Bora’s life, be it intentional or unintentional. Bora remembered the way the girl held her, tightly yet not threateningly. Could it really have been unintentional in that case? However, their fight just now held a mutual shoot to kill vibe, and if that were the case, why did she bother saving her in the first place? Nothing about this agent made sense, and Bora was beginning to wonder if she was a figment of her imagination. And maybe Bora would have believed that earlier, but she couldn’t now, because this person had a face. Despite not being able to see it clearly, Bora still saw that there was actually someone underneath that mask. 

“Not like you to hesitate so many times in a fight,” Bora pointed out quietly. The girl dropped to her knees, leaning over against her hands as blood poured out of her stomach. Bora watched while red liquid painted the concrete floor, spreading out like paint on an easel.

Bora felt an odd sense of possession around this girl, and she wanted to be the one to take her life. So why didn’t it feel as rewarding as she’d imagined? Bora thought if she killed this girl, her mind would be more at peace, but she realized as she stared down at the bleeding agent that that wasn’t the case, and it might never be the case until she got answers for her endless questions. Bora conveniently ignored the chaos her mind went into after feeling the girl’s arms around her earlier, not recognizing it as anything to do with her current state. Walking over to the briefcase that was on the ground, Bora picked it up before hearing movement behind her. She frowned, turning around to see the Cobra agent slowly standing up with a dagger in her hand.

“Seriously?” Bora sighed. “You’re not in any condition to fight.”

Her assumption that the taller girl planned on fighting her was wrong, and she only became more confused as the girl turned away, walking down the large warehouse. Bora was about to ask what she was doing before hearing voices outside in the direction the agent was walking. It had to be the group that was here for the trade, and it seemed liked the girl had every intention to go fight. Bora had a serious internal battle before her body just moved on it’s own, her legs running after the injured agent. She grabbed her wrist, feeling her flinch at the small touch.

“Don’t,” Bora scolded as she turned the masked girl around. “You won’t make it two steps out there before collapsing if you push yourself.”

Bora was aware of the dagger in her hand but didn’t even pay any attention to it, because she was staring directly where the girl’s eyes would be, and she knew the girl was staring back. The voices outside snapped Bora out of it, shaking her head as she turned. This was purely because she was in debt to her. The agent saved her life earlier, so she’d return the favor just this once. Bora didn’t like owing people anything, and so she justified her actions by wanting to make things even. 

“We’re leaving,” Bora began to walk away, dragging the girl behind her with a tight grip on her wrist. “I’ll pay you back this one time, so don’t try anything stupid.”

They snuck out through a back exit Bora had found earlier, ensuring to stay on the opposite side of the building from where they heard the voices. A part of Bora wondered if she should stay and figure out which organization was here, as it would make her report more stable and better. However, the thought left her mind as quickly as it came when she remembered the bleeding girl behind her, not to mention her own wounds. 

As they disappeared into the woods, Bora eventually let go of the wrist she forgot she was holding. She glanced behind her, making sure the agent wasn’t plotting her murder as they walked. Thankfully, it seemed she wasn’t. The girl’s head wasn’t even turned in her direction. Bora moved her gaze back in front of her to the surrounding trees.

“It’s a bit of a walk, try to not die until we get back.”

She realized how that sounded, almost like she was concerned for the girl’s life.

“There’s no satisfaction in killing you when you’re weak,” she rephrased herself. “Next time when you’re in better condition I’ll finish the job.” She hadn’t even noticed the way she insinuated that there would be a next time.

Her eyes fell down to her hand that held the girl’s wrist, opening her palm before squeezing it shut. “So don’t go dying to someone else in the meantime, okay? I want to be the one who takes your life.”

As usual, there was no response, but it wasn’t like Bora was looking for one anyway. She already knew she wouldn’t get one from the girl, she was used to it by now. However, a deeper part of her wondered what her voice sounded like, or if it would reveal any secret in it’s tone. Bora quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind, not letting herself welcome them in. She’d help the girl patch up her wounds tonight, and that was it. They’ll go back to being enemies once the sun rises, and Bora made a resolution to end this the next time they came across each other. 

For now, she’d focus on the present.


	5. payback

Bora locked the door to her hotel room with a deep sigh, wondering if she really had lost her mind. She started walking towards the bedroom, her bag with the medical kit being in there. Noticing there wasn’t anyone following behind her, Bora stopped before turning around.

“If I was going to kill you I would have done it earlier,” she sighed again. The injured girl still didn’t move, and Bora rolled her eyes before taking a few steps back and grabbing her wrist. She forcefully dragged her to the room before pushing the girl onto the white sheets,

“Sit and don’t do anything stupid,” Bora muttered before walking over to her bag. 

She pulled out the medical kit and set it on the bed next to the agent. Bora began to take off her own shirt, dampening a cloth with water from a bottle and cleaning the cut on her abdomnen as best she could. Confidence in her body wasn’t an attribute Bora lacked, so only being in her bra next to a stranger wasn’t a big deal to her. In fact, she often liked the looks she’d get, feeling the desire radiating from their eyes. So the fact that a mask separated her from that in this moment was bothering Bora, maybe a little bit too much. Once she had wrapped a white bandage around her waist a few times, she quickly threw on a spare oversized shirt before tending to the girl on the bed. 

“Back up against the headboard,” Bora instructed as she got a few things ready. To her surprise, the girl actually listened for once, leaning her back against the headboard.

Bora walked over to the side closest to the agent, sitting down and facing her. She tried examining the wound, frowning as she couldn’t see it very well. Not even hesitating, Bora reached for the tight black shirt, attempting to rip it open. As soon as her fingers touched the girl’s abdomen, a gloved hand grabbed her wrist, stopping it in place. 

“Let go dumbass, I’m trying to help you here.”

In reality, Bora could easily pry off the girl’s hand if she wanted, her grip weak due to the blood loss, but Bora waited, as if she knew the girl would listen to her. And she’d be right, because the hand wrapped around her wrist hesitantly let go, dropping back to the bed. With her hand free, Bora grabbed the ripped area in the girl’s shirt where the gash was, pulling it open a little more for access. It revealed the lower part of her abdomen, Bora taking notice of the toned muscles, though ensuring not to get caught staring. She got up, grabbing a small washcloth and walking to the bathroom to dampen it with lukewarm water.

“Now is probably the time to break your silence,” Bora said as she sat back down on the bed. “I need to know if it ever hurts too much.”

It would hurt regardless, but she didn’t need the girl passing out from pain. “I’m serious,” she sighed, not hearing anything. “Your voice won’t reveal anything. Besides, this whole thing is sort of a two way street. You’re trusting me and I’m trusting you, right now at least.”

Another few seconds passed by without an answer, and Bora was starting to get irritated before a voice came from underneath the mask. “I don’t need your trust.”

Bora’s eyes widened, not actually expecting to hear anything. The voice was much softer than she imagined, but it was smooth and velvety, a little deeper than her own. It was a very calming voice, and Bora was sure that if she sounded like that she’d never stop talking. A part of her desperately wanted to hear it again already, but before her thoughts could go too far south, she realized what the girl had said.

“You kind of do,” she chuckled humorlessly. “I’m in control of your life right now, don’t forget.”

“It’s not trust, it’s surviving,” the girl spoke again. “But know that if you help me, you’ll regret it when you’re dead.”

Bora only looked at her unphased, as the words didn’t hold any weight. Voices held emotion, and you could often figure out someone’s true feelings if you’re perceptive enough. Bora, being the people person that she is, was able to develop a keen sense of being able to read people based on their body language, eyes and voices. It was something she prided herself in and it definitely helped her in many ways for her job, seeing as she was able to flirt and get information out of people easily after reading them. Although this girl didn’t show much emotion through her voice, Bora could still hear a sense of forcefulness in her voice, like she was forcing herself to say that.

“Right,” Bora chuckled, beginning to slowly clean around the girl’s wound. “And that’s why you saved me earlier? Or…” A smirk formed on her lips as she moved her eyes up to meet the hidden agent’s. “Did you just want an excuse to touch me?”

There was a silence as Bora stared up at her, slight anticipation building as she silently wished she’d get a reaction out of the girl. 

“I’ll take your silence as a yes,” Bora cocked her head, a teasing smile forming on her lips. “I’ll let you touch me more, but you’ll have to take your mask off first.”

A sharp blade was pressed against Bora’s neck before she could even blink, her lips parting as she felt it tease her skin. “Relax,” she laughed nervously. “It was just a joke”

Bora reached up, gently grabbing the girl’s wrist and pulling it away. She took the dagger out of her hand, tossing it on the floor out of reach. She’d stick to her belief that she only offered that as one: a joke, and two: an attempt at getting rid of the mask to reveal her identity and report it to her superiors. That was definitely the reason. As she went back to cleaning the girl’s stab wound, Bora thought about what the agent had said earlier. If you help me you’ll regret it when you’re dead. She couldn’t help the defeated chuckle that left her lips as she realized how familiar that thought process sounded. Bora was practically saying the same thing by not killing the girl right now, instead stopping her from bleeding out. 

But it was for the cause of paying her back, right? 

Bora knew that was bullshit, however, ask her to admit it and she wouldn’t. They were both lying, Bora didn’t know the girl’s reasoning for lying let alone her own. There was no point in thinking about it anyway. They were enemies, Cobra being the biggest thorn in the Government’s back and vice versa. Bora had definitely crossed a line she shouldn’t tonight, and she wondered where her rational thinking went. Bora’s moral compass was never that strong and she was always rather impulsive and headstrong, but this right here really took the cake on being her worst decision. 

Finally finishing cleaning the wound, Bora took out a needle and surgical thread. “This is gonna hurt,” she warned quietly, the usual playfulness in her voice gone. She’d been on the receiving end of this operation multiple times, and it was extremely painful.

She felt the girl flinch slightly at the contact as Bora’s hand rested on her waist. For a moment, Bora felt a little bad. This girl had no way of knowing Bora’s true intentions on whether she was going to help her or torture her for answers. Sure, Bora told her she intended on paying her back, however, the latter option wasn’t uncommon at all. In fact, she’d probably get a large bonus if she brought the agent back home with her and handed her over to the third unit, who’s in charge of intel and reconnaissance. They would have a blast with the injured girl, using whatever method deemed necessary to make her talk. And maybe if Bora’s interest wasn’t completely swept away by the girl, she might have done just that.

Narrowing her eyes, Bora pressed the needle into the agent’s skin, feeling her body slightly jerk. The only thing she heard was a quiet, sharp inhale, but that was it, and Bora was impressed. She kept going before feeling her shirt move, glancing down and seeing a hand gripping the hem of her shirt with white knuckles. Bora consciously ignored it, knowing the girl probably had no idea what her hands were even doing right now. When you’re in that much pain, your body moves on it’s own, gripping anything nearby to help deal with the pain. She focused on the task at hand, pausing to wipe down the area with a cloth to get rid of the fresh blood.

“You need to stop moving,” Bora frowned, the smallest movements making it hard to continue, and would only make it hurt worse. 

With each touch, the girl’s body jerked, and Bora knew it wasn’t her fault because it was an automatic response that you had no control over in this situation. Leaning back, Bora bit her lip in contemplation. She didn’t have anything to numb the pain unfortunately, but there was no way she’d be able to finish like this. For a moment, she considered just knocking the girl out with a well enforced punch, but she figured that probably wouldn’t be the best for later. Besides, if she didn’t hurry, the girl would pass out due to blood loss anyway. Glancing around the room, an idea popped into Bora’s mind as she readjusted her eyes back in front of her. It wouldn’t entirely stop the small movements, but it might suppress enough so Bora could finish stitching her up. That is, if she doesn’t get instantly thrown off. 

Carefully getting on her knees, Bora lifted her right leg, placing it on the other side of the girl’s waist. She situated herself before gently lowering her hips. “Don’t move,” she whispered under her breath before lowering herself the rest of the way, straddling the girl’s waist below the wound. The agent didn’t move, however, her head snapped over to look at Bora, and she could hear a small gasp from underneath the mask. Bora watched carefully for any sort of reaction because although she was doing this to stop her small movements, she also didn’t want to make her too uncomfortable. As if noticing that her hand was holding Bora’s shirt, the girl let go, dropping it on the bed. 

“I’m not done,” Bora spoke softly. “So you might want to keep ahold of my shirt,” she winked, flashing her usual teasing smile, however it was less convincing than the last. It was almost a forced smile, like Bora wanted to be carefree in this situation as per usual but wasn’t. 

The girl only looked away again, not entertaining Bora’s antics in the slightest. Seeing how she wasn’t moving to push her off, Bora put her focus back down on her abdomen. She was halfway done with the stitching part, and after that it was mostly an easy process of just cleaning around the wound one last time to fight the risk of infection. 

“A little more,” Bora breathed out in an odd attempt at reassurance. She meticulously continued to thread the needle, keeping her movements steady to not cause any extra pain.

Fifteen minutes later and Bora finally finished, leaning back with a deep breath of relief. “It’s done,” she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She felt the girl shift underneath her as if trying to get up, and Bora instantly squeezed her thighs together, putting her hands on the girl’s shoulders.

“I said it’s done, not that you can get up and leave,” she scolded. “If you move too much you’ll mess up the stitches and I’ll have to do it again. I’m sure you don’t want that.”

The girl stopped moving underneath her, and Bora smiled with praise before feeling gloves hands wrapping around her wrists. She glanced down, noticing how close her fingers were to the mask, being able to rip it off in one swift movement. Frowning, Bora looked back up. 

“I’m not going to try and take it off,” she sighed with irritation. She knew why the girl didn’t trust her and she wasn’t expecting her to, though it was still bothering Bora a little too much. “If I was going to, I would have already done it. I’ll take it off when I figure you out.” 

The girl seemed to be content with her answer, the gloved hands slowly released Bora’s wrists, but with caution and hesitation. Bora in turn retracted her hands from the girl’s shoulders so they weren’t so close to the mask. She observed her one last time before getting back to work, cleaning around the wound with a small piece of cloth and rubbing alcohol. She was sure not to get too close to the cut, not wanting to irritate it anymore. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Bora asked, not lifting her eyes from the girl’s abdomen. She figured this would be the last time she’d get her to talk, so might as well try and utilize it. 

Not hearing a response, Bora continued anyway. “Why did you want that flash drive in Russia?”

“What?” She heard the voice ask, audibly confused.

“The flash drive,” Bora repeated herself. “Why does it have any use to you or Cobra?”

There was a pause, and Bora noticed the way the girl began pinching the side of her cargo pants. “What do you think was on it, exactly?”

Bora furrowed her eyebrows. “Names.”

“Of?”

They stared at each other, neither revealing exactly what they knew was on it in fear that the other didn’t know. Bora was the first to break, tired of the back and forth. She had already come this far. “Names of an old gang, why is any of that important to you guys?”

“Did you see those names yourself?” The girl pressed forward, only irritating Bora further.

“No,” she bit her lower lip. “It’s not my job to read what was on it.”

“And there’s your answer,” the girl spoke simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Bora rolled her eyes with a sigh. “You didn’t answer shit. In fact, I’m not even sure you know what the word ‘answer’ means. I can read you the dictionary form if you’re confused.”

“Should I read you the dictionary form of personal space?” The girl tilted her head, alluding to the way Bora was still straddling her lap.

“Maybe we should both read it,” Bora narrowed her eyes. “Forcing someone up against you in a small closet doesn’t necessarily fall under personal space.”

They fell into a stalemate, and it was something Bora had started to notice a pattern of. Whether they were throwing words or punches, neither of them ever came out victorious. It was a constant back and forth, and though it was annoying, Bora found a certain satisfaction or pleasure to it, finding excitement in her dull life. It only made her want to win in a fair way more, the thought of winning over the masked girl and finally taking her life sending a thrill through her veins.

The girl sighed, being the first expression of emotion Bora had gotten from her. “I’m not going to answer it completely, because I’ll be putting myself in danger if I do. I still have a lot to accomplish, and you’re not going to get in my way.”

Bora wanted to ask what exactly it was that she wanted to accomplish. Agents never really had anything they wanted to accomplish personally, they all just accomplished what others wanted done. There was no time to think about what you wanted, as you wouldn’t get it anyway. Everyone who was in this line of work, be it criminals or not, they all held the same use, including Bora. They did the work for others as told, to stay alive and to get paid. So if there was something this girl personally wanted, then Bora wanted to know.

“I will tell you something, though,” the agent spoke again, grabbing Bora’s attention. “It involves money, and my reasoning for wanting it is different. I’m not saying anything else because if you get yourself into trouble it’s my fault. However,” the girl paused for a moment. “If you investigate it on your own then that has nothing to do with me.”

“Are you worried about me?” Bora cocked her head, a smirk playing on her lips. “I can take care of myself.”

The girl didn’t play into her game this time. “I’m saying it’s not worth it. I know you have friends, I’ve fought them before.”

Bora’s eyes widened before blinking a couple times. “What?”

“Kim Bora,” the girl continued. “Leader of the Control unit underneath the Government agency. I’ve known who you are for a while now, and I also know your friends’ names. You think you’re in charge because of the situation but you’re not.”

Bora had no idea how this person knew her name, or how she knew her status in the Government. That was kept private, and if a Cobra agent had her name then that meant that her information was leaked somewhere. But it also meant Cobra assassins would have tried to take her out already, especially seeing how the girl said she’s known her for a while. Based on the fact that Bora hasn’t run into any assassins, that meant Cobra didn’t know yet, and that the girl hadn’t distributed her information. That also meant that if the agent died, then the risk of her identity spreading was nonexistent. But the agent had to know that, and yet she revealed the fact that she knew who Bora was anyway. 

“Then what do you want?” Bora narrowed her eyes, suspicion taking over.

“Honestly? To stop running into you. You’re annoying.”

“And that’s why you saved me?” Bora raised her eyebrows

The girl shrugged. “Take it as you will.”

“God you’re intolerable,” Bora sighed annoyedly, finally getting off the girl’s lap. She heard the sheets rustling behind her, turning around with a frown.

“What are you doing?”

“Leaving,” the girl spoke. “You’re done, so I’m leaving.”

She stood up, and Bora’s eyes darted down to the wound in panic. “You’re going to rip those stitches open dumbass,” she yelled in frustration as the girl began to walk out of the room towards the exit. As her hand rested on the door handle, Bora shot forward gripping the girl’s waist to get her to stop moving. 

“Do you ever listen?” Bora scolded, looking down at the stitches that were still thankfully intact. As her hands moved around, she heard the girl’s breath hitch at the contact again, Bora only now realizing how close they were.

“You’re oddly sensitive,” Bora spoke teasingly under her breath. “You sure you don’t want to stay the night?”

The innuendo didn’t get lost on the agent as her fingers gripped the door handle tighter. “Let me guess, you want me to thank you by taking off my mask?”

Bora’s breathing stopped in anticipation as she watched the girl’s hand slowly lift up, spreading her gloved fingers out on the black mask. “If you ask nicely I might give you the pleasure,” she teased back for once, and Bora could practically hear the smirk in the girl’s voice. Needless to say, the sudden change was intoxicating. Bora parted her lips to say something but the taller girl cut her off.

“Kidding,” the agent's hand dropped lifelessly to her side. Any emotion in her voice was gone, the playfulness disappearing within an instant like it was never there.

“You’d hate what’s under here.”

Bora’s eyebrows furrowed, the complete contrast in tone changing within seconds, and she didn’t have time to process it before the girl slipped out of her hold and out the door, the noise of it closing snapping Bora back into reality. She stood there silently, analyzing her voice with that last sentence. It was empty, yet there was a hint of disappointment, or maybe even sadness. It left a bad taste in Bora’s mouth, and she wanted to move, to open the door and make the girl stay for the night, but she didn’t move. She couldn’t. She had already dealt enough damage to her career as it stood if anyone were to find out. She had already deluded herself enough for one night. However, despite all that, a part of her was still sure she wouldn’t hate whoever was under that mask, and that’s what was the most concerning part.

Deeply exhaling, Bora placed her hands against the door, frustration building in every single vein. She had finally gotten the girl to speak to her, yet now she was left with more confusion than she had ever been in. She knew nothing anymore. She had no idea if she should investigate the flash drive or not, she had no clue when the next time she’d run into the girl was, if she even did. She had no idea why her body felt the way it did around the agent, and lastly, she didn’t know why the girl said Bora would hate what’s underneath the mask. Bora knew she was playing a dangerous game, but at this point, she was way too far in to go back. 

And maybe she should have. Maybe she should have stopped there and forgot everything. Maybe that would save her from pain in the future, but she wasn’t a time traveler, and she was also someone who, once they found interest in something, weren’t able to let it go. Life was about learning lessons, and Bora wondered if this would end up being one of her’s.


	6. (im)moral

“I’m fine, Minji,” Bora groaned as the older woman didn’t loosen the strength of the embrace. “Seriously, you can let go now.”

“It’s not often you're the one begging someone to get off you,” Yoohyeon laughed from behind them. “Getting a taste of your own medicine.”

Bora frowned. “You’re lucky your girlfriend won’t let me go, I’d beat the hell out of you.”

“Try it midget,” Yoohyeon fired back, the smirk in her voice only fueling the fire. Bora was about to snap back before Minji spoke, loosening her grip. Finally able to breathe properly again, Bora let out a long exaggerated exhale.

“Don’t scare me like that again,” Minji lightly shook her shoulders, Bora pushing her off.

“I didn’t scare anyone, you’re just overreacting. It’s not my fault my phone was blown to pieces.”

Walking over to the couch, Bora fell on it with an exasperated sigh. She was tired from travel, and tired from what had happened a few nights ago with the Cobra agent. Bora would have liked to forget any of that happened, however at the same time, her mind seemed to want to replay it like it was the best movie she’d ever seen. It was even hard to sleep at night, the sound of the girl’s voice echoing through her head like a broken record. She often wondered if it would be months until she saw her again (if at all), and a part of her silently hoped it wouldn’t. There was still so much she wanted to figure out, so much she wanted to ask. 

“I’m not overreacting,” her friend’s voice pulled her back out of her thoughts. “We couldn’t get in contact with you, that usually doesn’t mean good things.”

Bora rubbed her temples. Minji was always the mother of the group, worrying about everyone else like they were her children, despite Bora ranking higher than her. “Well I’m alive so you can stop worrying now. Everything went well, I got the briefcase and completed my mission.”

She conveniently left out the majority of what happened.

“What’s Wooseok gonna do with it?” Yoohyeon asked as she sat down next to Bora, who only shrugged in response.

“No idea. Probably use the money to help specially train someone in the Spectre unit since he sent their best agent to her death a while ago.”

“Bora,” Minji’s voice was saturated with empathy. 

“Sorry,” she sighed. “I should really be over it by now shouldn’t I.”

“No,” she felt the older woman rub her back gently. “She obviously meant a lot to you, so absolutely not. It just makes me sad to see you sad.”

“I’m not sad, just bitter.”

Minji nodded, clasping her hands together. “Which is why we should go out tomorrow night! You need a break.”

“Agreed,” Yoohyeon nodded. “You always used to go out after missions, but recently you haven’t. Maybe it’s for a reason, maybe it’s not, but I think you just need to have fun for a bit.”

“You’re not even gonna be here tomorrow,” Bora frowned. 

“So?” The girl nudged her shoulder. “It’s not like you and Minji can’t go by yourselves.”

Minji narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Yeah, now I’m curious. Are you seeing someone that we don’t know about? You used to love going to the bar and flirting with people.”

Bora felt her body tense up, however, she had no idea why. She wasn’t seeing anyone right now, at least not romantically. And she definitely wasn’t about to count the Cobra agent as seeing someone. She’d lie to herself and pretend she didn’t know the answer as to why she wasn’t interested in playing around with someone recently.

“You guys are dumb,” she yawned, standing up from the couch. “I’ll go out with you tomorrow night Minji, just so you guys get off my back.”

She walked to the door, laying her hand on the handle. “I’m gonna go see how Gahyeon is doing,” she called out before leaving the room. 

She hadn’t spoken to the younger girl since partnering her and Yubin, so Bora was curious to see how they were getting along. She knew if she asked Yubin, the girl would just mumble something along the lines of “we’re fine,” and that was it. Bora was also curious as to how Gahyeon was adjusting to the new unit. Walking a few blocks down the street to the Control Headquarters, Bora swung the door open and headed for the training room, as she figured that’s where the younger girl would be.

She was right, seeing Gahyeon sitting down on the floor with heavy breaths. Bora smiled as she walked up, going unnoticed by the younger girl. “Working hard?” She asked, startling her.

Gahyeon jumped in surprise, eyes wide as she looked in Bora’s direction. “Bora?” She smiled. “I didn’t know you were coming back today.”

“Yup, I left pretty early in the morning,” Bora sat down across from her. “How have things been? Adjusting well?”

“I am!” The girl beamed, making Bora feel relieved. “Everything here is really nice, much better than Spectre. I’ve just been training a lot to get ready for Yubin and I’s mission tomorrow.”

Bora’s lips formed a circle. “Oh, right. You guys are leaving for your first mission together tomorrow, right? Are you nervous?”

“Not at all,” the girl shook her head. “Yubin’s been helpful. She’s pretty quiet, but I feel like I’m quickly making progress with her. She actually smiles now.”

A chuckle left Bora’s lips. “Yeah, that’s Yubin. She’s not entirely happy that she had to get a partner, so I’m just glad she’s not completely shutting you out.”

“She’s not, actually, she told me why she didn’t want a partner for so long.”

“She did?” Bora’s jaw dropped in disbelief. She knew Yubin didn’t like talking about it, and Bora was expecting to have to tell Gahyeon herself. 

“Yeah,” the girl nodded. “She said her last partner died a few years back, and it was hard to even think about having another. I feel pretty bad.”

Bora was quiet for a moment, picking up on the girl’s uneasiness. “Don’t feel bad, the fact that Yubin already told you about that means she likes you. It was time for her to get a new partner anyway, you can’t run from things forever.”

“Thanks,” the girl smiled lightly. “Although I can still imagine how much it hurts. I don’t know how close they were, but I know how much it hurt when Siyeon died, and I wasn’t even her partner. Hell, I barely got to talk to her. She wasn’t much of a talker.”

Bora’s heart clenched at the mention of the girl’s name. But it hurt even more how Gahyeon mentioned Siyeon hardly ever talked. With Bora’s memory, the girl was always talking, making Bora laugh or comforting her. Although she also remembered how Siyeon didn’t talk much when they first met, so Bora could only imagine Siyeon reverted to that side of herself after being taken away.

“Her name was Handong,” Bora let out a small breath of air. “She was Yubin’s partner and girlfriend. They’d known each other since they were kids. Handong was a real nice girl, and she was a good friend too.”

Gahyeon listened attentively, empathy showing in her eyes. Bora smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “We’re taught to move on from a young age, so it’s okay to talk about it now. Just be patient with Yubin, okay? If she happens to say something rude, just know she means well and probably has your survival as first priority.”

The girl nodded, a small smile pulling at her lips. “Thank you, Bora. You’re really a good leader.”

“No problem,” Bora patted her on the shoulder.

“But can I ask something?” 

“Huh?” Bora tilted her head. “Sure.”

“Did you…” Gahyeon paused, as if thinking about her words. “You said you’ve been taught to move on from a young age, but did you ever move on from Siyeon?”

The question surprised her, her eyes widening as the girl continued. “After she died, I heard that there was an agent constantly asking about Siyeon and demanding answers. I remember it made me feel so comforted despite my anger at the situation, that someone knew and cared enough about Siyeon to ask those questions that I couldn’t. That was you, wasn’t it?”

Bora swallowed a lump in her throat. “Yeah, that was me. Never got those answers,” she chuckled halfheartedly.

As if the girl picked up on her melancholic tone, she suddenly pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “I don’t really know how close you and Siyeon were, but it seems you cared about her a lot. Would you want to see a picture of her? If I remember correctly, you said you knew her before she was recruited to Spectre. She probably changed a lot since you last saw her.”

“A picture?” Bora whispered underneath her breath, like she was being offered pure gold. She wanted to see it, but at the same time, she was scared of how much it might hurt, seeing the girl all grown up. It would only remind her how much time they lost together. Bora wouldn’t let that train of thought win, wanting to know the most she could about her old friend.

“If you don’t mind, I’d love to.”

Gahyeon nodded, unlocking her phone and scrolling through her camera roll for a minute. Bora sat still in anticipation and anxiety, playing with the sleeve of her shirt. The girl’s thumb finally stopped scrolling, leaning over in Bora’s direction and holding out the phone.

“Here,” she said as she held it out for Bora to take. “This is a picture of me and her two years ago, not too long before she died.”

Bora hesitantly took the small device in her own hands, eyes falling down to the glow of the screen. She instantly recognized the girl. Long black hair, smooth fair skin. Those sharp, almost wolf-like eyes that could be intimidating from a distance, but were also soft. Her full lips that were slightly upturned in a small smile. It made Bora slightly sad, remembering the way the girl used to have the cutest toothy grin. Her jawline was almost ethereal, sculpting her face as if she were a goddess. Siyeon’s features were similar to what Bora remembered, however they were just more mature, more grown up.

“I see she only ever got more and more beautiful,” Bora smiled sadly, studying the picture carefully as if trying to engrave the image into her brain.

Gahyeon hummed in agreement. “Siyeon’s one of the most prettiest people I’ve ever met. It helped that she was beautiful on the inside, too.”

Bora nodded, her gaze never leaving the picture. As she studied the girl’s eyes again, the smile on Bora’s lips slowly faded as an image flashed through her mind. That piercing gaze. She barely even saw it that day, but it reminded her of the Cobra agent’s eye when half of her mask was broken off. How it seemed to carefully study her with those dark orbs. Bora quickly passed the phone back to the younger girl, taking a small breath to calm herself down. She was sure she was going crazy at this point. How her mind would occasionally project Siyeon onto the masked girl, and now, seeing her features in her. Bora wondered if this is what happens when you don’t deal with grief correctly. 

“Thank you for showing me,” she genuinely smiled, shoving those thoughts away. “I always wondered what she grew up to look like.”

Gahyeon pocketed her phone. “It may not make things any easier or better, but she’d never talk about the past. I remember asking her a few times how she got to Spectre, but she would never say anything. It seemed like she would never talk about it because it was too hard to. Which, now that I know you were friends with her back then, makes me pretty sure those memories she had with you were everything to her. When people refuse to talk about the past, it’s because it hurts, and a lot of the time the reason it hurts is because those memories were of better times. Now that I think about it, Siyeon seemed to always be in her own world, like she was always thinking about someone. I’m positive that person was you.”

There was no warning, no caution about how much that was going to hurt. Bora felt her eyes sting, but she refused to cry. At least, not until she was alone in the safety of her room. Bora would have thought that ten years would lessen the pain, but it didn’t, not in the slightest. She could still vividly remember that night, how Siyeon was ripped away from her, the girl crying out Bora’s name. She’d do anything to go back.

“I wonder how she remembered the past,” Bora breathed out shakily, swallowing the tears. 

“I wouldn’t be able to tell you,” Gahyeon shrugged. “I could never figure out what Siyeon was thinking. Like I said, it seemed she was always living in her own world.”

Standing up, Bora stretched her arms. “Thank you again, Gahyeon, really. Although it hurt a little to see her again, I think I feel a little more at peace.”

“No problem,” the girl smiled softly as she mirrored Bora’s actions. “I’m just glad she had a friend like you before Spectre.”

Bora bit her lip, that thought always bothering her. She would always wonder if she hurt Siyeon more than helping her. “I’m glad she met you in Spectre,” Bora shot back. “Even if she didn’t talk much, I’m sure she liked being around you.”

“I like to think that,” the girl laughed, getting a chuckle out of Bora.

“Alright, well I’m gonna head home,” Bora put her hands in her pockets. “Good luck on your mission tomorrow and be safe, okay?”

“Alright, see you when I get back!”

Bora smiled, resting her hand against the door before pausing. “Hey Gahyeon? You said there was never a funeral for Siyeon, right?”

“Yeah,” Gahyeon replied. “Usually we have funerals for any agent who died. Siyeon didn’t get one.”

Turning back to the door, Bora narrowed her eyes. “Alright, thanks. Have a good night.”

Slowly opening her eyes, Bora felt her head throbbing and her eyes feeling like she had just woken up from a long night at the bar. They were puffy and itchy, although alcohol wasn’t the culprit this time. Instead of a night of copious amounts of alcohol, it was a night of countless tears shed. After she had gotten home from talking with Gahyeon, Bora instantly went to her room, and the tears fell as soon as she locked her bedroom door, eventually crying herself to sleep. The tears didn’t stop for hours, and all she remembers was the way her body was shaking uncontrollably, like she was experiencing the loss all over again, like it hadn’t been years since then. It still hurts, even now as to who knows how many hours had passed or what time it was. She couldn’t get that picture out of her mind, and even worse, she couldn’t get the image of half of the Cobra agent’s barely visible face out of her mind either. It was infuriating, and Bora was suddenly looking forward to tonight, letting alcohol take away those thoughts. 

She slowly rolled her way out of her numerous layers of blankets, rubbing her eyes. Checking the time, Bora’s eyes widened as she realized it was already late afternoon. Quickly getting out of bed, Bora showered, desperately scrubbing her cheeks to forget the dried tears. She always hated crying, and felt like it was useless. Everything that happened in her line of work should be expected, and that included loss. Still, that knowledge never seemed to help. Getting out of the shower, Bora wrapped a towel around her body and walked out of her room.

“Look who’s awake,” Minji glanced over from the couch, tossing her phone down. “I thought you might have passed away in your sleep.”

“Late night,” Bora shrugged. “When do you wanna leave for the bar?”

The purple haired girl hummed, checking the time. “How about an hour? I already miss Yoohyeon, I want to start early.”

Bora grimaced. “Disgusting,” she muttered. “She’s literally only thirty minutes away helping at a training facility, you’ll live.”

“When you fall in love you’ll understand,” Minji pouted dramatically as if she were in a drama. 

“Right,” Bora said sarcastically. A part of her secretly wanted what her two friends had, but she’d never acknowledge that. “Anyway, I’ll go get ready then.”

“Dress to impress!” Minji yelled out, causing Bora to frown, waving her off. 

“People would fall in love with me even if I didn’t,” she complimented herself, aware of her own beauty. “But I won’t embarrass you.”

With that, Bora closed her door and got ready.

Her excitement was starting to build with each strand of blonde hair she straightened, realizing how much she needed a night to just forget about everything. She hadn’t taken a mental break in so long, and maybe that was why her decisions around the Cobra agent were so poor. Once she was done, she turned off her straightener, setting it down before walking in front of a full body mirror. She smiled, completely aware of how good she looked. She had on black knee high boots with a short black skirt, a tight, dark red long sleeve shirt neatly tucked in. Underneath her skirt, she had on a garter belt wrapped around her thighs, concealing a couple daggers in case of an emergency. Her eyes fell on the silver bracelet clasped around her wrist for a moment before looking away, ignoring it. Maybe she’d let herself loose tonight and go home with someone. Sex never sounded like a bad idea to her, and it had been at least a month since her last one night stand. Giving herself one last look, Bora headed for her bedroom door.

“Wow,” Minji clapped as she was already waiting for Bora. “I said dress to impress not dress to kill. Everyone is gonna be too scared to approach you if you look that good.”

Bora smiled confidently, checking her friend out. Minji had on black pants with a white shirt and a black leather jacket. A simple outfit but a killer one, working on the girl dangerously well. “Not looking too bad yourself,” Bora complimented. 

“Anyway, shall we?” She held out her hand, waiting for Minji to take it. The girl stood up, taking Bora’s hand. 

“I’m ready to get drunk.”

The two of them walked out of the dorm, entertaining themselves in conversation. Bora sometimes forgot how nice it was to hang out with just Minji for once. She was her first friend, and as they got older, it became harder and harder to spend much time together despite living in the same place. Bora valued these times with her friends, knowing it could all be taken away in a second. They stood on the sidewalk, waiting for an uber before Minji’s phone interrupted the conversation. The girl sighed as she pulled it out, frowning upon reading the caller id. 

“Hello?”

Bora watched in curiosity for a few moments before seeing the way Minji’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?” The girl repeated, pulling the phone away from her ear and putting it on speaker for Bora to hear. A feminine voice spoke through the other end, Bora recognizing it as one of their superiors. 

“Wooseok’s home was broken into five minutes ago,” the girl spoke. Bora couldn’t help but chuckle, not entirely caring about what happened to that man. He probably deserved it. It wasn’t until the next line that made her blood freeze. “There were two of them, it is my impression that they are Cobra agents. Wooseok said the only thing missing is a flash drive that was on his desk.”

“A flash drive?” Bora furrowed her eyebrows before remembering something.

“Wait,” she whispered under her breath, hands feeling numb. Cobra agents breaking into Wooseok’s home to steal a flash drive? Bora knew of one Cobra agent who was still in search of a certain flash drive, one that Bora was interested in as well. 

“No way.”

It had to be a coincidence. Wooseok told her that the flash drive was sealed in the evidence lockers, there was no way it was just sitting on his desk. Also, how would the girl even know he had it, let alone where he lived? Unless… 

Bora quickly shook her head, not letting herself finish the thought. The woman’s voice pulled Bora back into reality.

“We need one of you to go to Wooseok’s apartment and one of you to chase the Cobra agents. They’re headed north, past the city, and they’ll most likely try and disappear in the state park.”

“The park is literally miles big,” Bora frowned. “How are we supposed to find them?”

“If you leave now you have a chance, please hurry.”

The phone buzzed, indicating the woman had hung up. Bora and Minji looked at each other at the same time, disappointment in their eyes. “Seriously,” Bora sighed. “I just wanted to go out tonight.”

“Next time,” Minji reassured. “I’ll go after the agents, you go to Wooseok’s? I’ll make sure they’re dead for ruining our night out.”

Bora felt slight panic at the offer, the possibility of who one of those Cobra agents might be not sitting well with her. “I’ll go after them,” she suddenly spoke, Minji raising her eyebrows. “I have more experience with Cobra,” Bora added to avoid suspicion. If the girl really was the culprit of this stunt, she wanted to know, and not by seeing her dead body.

“But you’re in boots,” Minji pointed out, the girl’s footwear much better suited than Bora’s to go running.

“I’m fine,” Bora insisted before turning away. “Go to Wooseok’s before we get yelled at.”

Minji frowned before nodding. “I’ll come help as soon as I can, don’t do anything impulsive!”

Bora could only laugh under her breath as she took off. 

Something impulsive was probably exactly what she was about to do.

The buildings blurred by as Bora ran as fast as she could, diverting through narrow alleyways to take this quickest route. She knew she had to cut as much time off as possible, because if Cobra made it to the park before she did, there was no hope in chasing them down. It was basically a state reserved area that wasn’t allowed to be built on, protecting some of the wildlife. There were small trails people could walk on, however those only expanded so far, leaving the remaining 70% of the wooded area empty. Their dorm was closer to the park than Wooseok’s place, his home being more centered in the city, which gave Bora an advantage. The possibility of Cobra taking a car out of the city was slim, being too easy to track for miles. It was a pretty safe guess to say that wherever Cobra was running to, there was a car in an area they were sure didn’t have cameras. Bora just had to stop them before they got there.

She felt excitement race through her veins as she planted one foot in front of the other. It had been years since anyone attacked on their territory. Bora almost wished there were more Cobra agents tonight, wanting to prolong the excitement as best she could. However, her interest was grabbed either way. If one of the agents did happen to be the girl she knew, then it was going to be fun to see how she fought with a partner. Bora had only ever encountered the girl one on one. She wondered if the new agent would be as strong, and Bora licked her lips at the thought.

Her boots went from concrete to dirt, sprinting through the forest while being careful not to trip on anything, though it was hard as the sun was setting. Bora hated running, the pain in her legs from running in heeled boots only adding to the hatred. She was starting to regret not having Minji chase after them instead. Swallowing her poor decision, Bora slowed down, stopping in her tracks. Their path shouldn’t be far from hers, and so she waited, listening for the crackling of leaves crunching beneath heavy footsteps. The sound would travel well in the quiet area, and Bora just had to hope she wasn’t already behind them. She waited for a minute, furrowing her eyebrows. It almost seemed impossible that they’d beat her, seeing as she was minutes closer to the park. Her hands begin to fidget, wondering if she was given the wrong information, and that the agents had a car waiting for them in the street. But that couldn’t be the case, they had cameras all around the city, and her superior told her they were last seen running in this direction. 

Before Bora could worry about it anymore, she heard footsteps quickly approaching to her far left. Her head snapped over, barely able to see two distant figures fly by. What she immediately noticed first was the lack of a mask on one of them. She could tell the other had on a black mask, but despite being a little far away, she could see long, brown hair freely flowing from the other. Taking off after them, Bora knew there wasn’t any time to question it for now. Maybe the second girl wasn’t a Cobra agent but an accomplice. She knew she was heard, because the two agents suddenly stopped in their tracks, turning to face her. 

Stopping as she was a good twenty feet away, Bora panted, resting her hands on the top of her head. “Ah, seriously,” she breathed heavily. “I hate cardio, please don’t run again.”

She observed the agents as she caught her breath, eyes narrowing as she noticed white bandages wrapped tightly underneath and on top of one of the girl’s black shirts. Right over her abdomen, where Bora helped stitch her up that night. It had barely been a week, and Bora was positive she shouldn’t already be out running like this. She shrugged. It wasn’t like she could expect her to just not work. More than anything, it told Bora that it was indeed her little rival, and that excited her, that is, until she looked to the right. Her eyes became hostile as she looked at the new agent. She was wearing all black, yet there wasn’t that signature black mask hiding her features. The girl was admittedly pretty, long dark brown hair cascading over her shoulders. She was short, probably even shorter than Bora herself, but with her face, she could have easily been a model.

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing out here?” She heard the girl suddenly speak in her direction. “Shouldn’t you be at the club or something?”

Bora frowned, although it was a fair point. She was dressed up to go out before this happened. “Yeah, I should,” she sighed dramatically. “If it weren’t for you two I’d be out having fun right now.”

She glanced at the masked agent, the girl not speaking, not that Bora expected her too. “Oh?” The brunette tilted her head. “So you’re an agent? I’m really intrigued now.”

“Not my type,” Bora instantly rejected as she slid her hand up the outside of her thigh, grabbing a dagger and pulling it out. “I like them tall and aggressive. No offense, but you look like your arm will break if you throw a punch.”

“Rude,” the girl gasped sarcastically before smiling. “But that's okay, you're not my type either,” she said as she almost possessively leaned into the girl next to her.

Bora’s eyebrows furrowed, waiting for any type of reaction from the girl after being touched, but there was none. "You two on a date?" She raised her eyebrows. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Unfortunately no." Bora frowned at the obnoxious laugh. "If we were, I wouldn't let someone like you ruin it."

A chuckle left Bora's lips. "Right, my apologies," she dipped her head sarcastically. "Maybe we can go on a double date later then. That is, unless you're feeling threatened. Your body language is sort of giving it away."

The girl's arrogant smile fell into a scowl, giving Bora the satisfaction of being correct. "Relax," her lips formed into a pout. "I was dressed up to see someone else. I'm not interested in criminals."

It was almost comical at how easy it was to read the unmasked girl, how she was clinging against the other Cobra agent like Bora was trying to put her under a spell to sleep with her. Insecurity was always the first thing Bora was able to decipher from someone's actions, and it was the easiest to extort. Getting someone worked up before a fight would often lead to poor decisions, creating an advantage that otherwise wouldn't exist. However, at the same time, Bora was doing her best to ignore how close they were, making her stomach feel tight for reasons she didn't know.

"Should have guessed," the girl laughed again, trying to hide her irritation. It wasn't working very well. "You look like the type to throw yourself on anyone in the room."

"Slut-shaming in the year of 2020?" Bora cocked her head, unphased. "How shallow. Anyway, why don’t you have a mask on too? Are you not a part of Cobra?”

The girl scoffed. “Do you really think I’d be with her if I wasn’t a part of Cobra? I like my voice and face, it always makes things so much more enjoyable.”

Bora stared blankly before sighing. “You’re really annoying.” It used to bother her how Cobra agents never spoke, however, now she thought it was a blessing. 

Flipping the dagger between her fingers, Bora clamped down on the hilt before readying herself to attack. She might have had some experience and ideas on how the masked girl fought, however, the newer agent was still a mystery, so she’d have to be careful and closely observe any weaknesses. As if starting the fight, Bora raced forward, watching how the brunette stood slightly defensive. Tossing the dagger in her other hand, she lunged forward once close enough, dagger aiming straight for the girl’s neck. There was a loud clash as steel scraped against steel, Bora quietly inhaling upon seeing the masked agent right in front of her. Their blades pressed into one another with increasing strength and impatience quickly began to dig away at Bora.

“Move,” she grit her teeth, her voice firm and demanding. As expected, the agent didn’t move, and Bora felt the air unnaturally shift behind her.

Quickly dodging to the left, a knife grazed by her shoulder, narrowly missing it. She frowned, unsure as to when the brunette even got behind her.

“She won’t listen to you,” the girl smiled arrogantly, pissing Bora off even further.

Grabbing her throat, Bora watched the smile wash off her face. “Did I ask?” She smirked before throwing her to the ground. 

It was bothering Bora more than it should, seeing the masked agent having a partner. A seemingly close one at that. Bora didn’t like sharing things that captivated her interest until she was done playing with it, and it didn’t help that she had a strong possessive trait. Jealousy wasn’t something she often felt because if there was something or someone she wanted, she’d get it. But the thought of the brunette agent getting to hear the other girl’s voice and see her face sent off a similar feeling. A feeling that Bora wouldn’t acknowledge as jealousy, and claim it was only irritation.

Following the agent to the ground, Bora tightly gripped her dagger, chasing the girl’s pulse point. Her blade hit the dirt as the girl rolled out of the way, and Bora didn’t have time to readjust before an elbow smacked against her jaw. She stumbled back, seeing the masked girl instantly close the distance. Bora’s wrists slammed against her’s with each punch she blocked. Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, Bora bent backwards, a fist flying in front of her nose from the brunette. Before she could recover from the dodge, a boot crushed her stomach, her back slamming against a large tree. Bora coughed, slightly disoriented as oxygen seemed to have left her body. With her eyes coming back into focus, she saw the masked agent following up with a sharp silver blade, heading directly between her eyes. Ducking at the last moment, the dagger flew by her head, sticking into the tree.

“That was a close one,” Bora laughed it off, ignoring the fact that she was almost beat right there. Creating distance, Bora glanced around in hopes to come up with a strategy. The fight was going to be hard to win against two people. The brunette wasn’t weak like she thought she was going to be, and it felt like the other girl was fighting with more intent to kill. Plus, anytime Bora found and opening against the smaller agent, the masked one would close it, defending her like a pet. It made Bora curious but excited at the same time. 

“Hey, do you pay her to protect you?” Bora directed towards the brunette, her question dripping with sarcasm as she wiped blood from her lips.

“Well, she is a rank below me," the girl smiled as she walked up to the taller agent, hand sliding down her back in a sleazy manner, making Bora want to look away. "But to answer your question, no. She does that on her own free will, I'm sorry if that makes you jealous. I'm only here to supervise her, keep her on a tight leash. She's been known to play with boundaries, in more ways than one."

Bora grimaced at the wink she was sent, and she wondered if this what it felt like to deal with her own self at times. She was interested though, in the fact that the masked girl was being monitored. That means she had probably been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to, and Bora wanted to know what it was. Obviously nothing too serious or she wouldn't be alive right now. Despite working for Cobra, Bora's interactions with the girl gave her a feeling that she does what she wants for the most part, which would make the supervision and 'tight leash' understandable. Despite being described as a trouble maker, the girl also seemed to be rather obedient, seeing as she was protecting her partner as well as doing what she's told. Although, Bora had an idea that the holder of the leash wasn't who the brunette thought it was. Her tongue subconsciously swiped over her bottom lip. Everything was becoming more intriguing.

"I'll give you a tip," she shifted her weight on her back foot, fingers sliding down her thigh, pulling out another dagger. "If a dog wants to go out on a walk, they'll bite the leash and hold it themselves. If someone wants to walk them, then that person will hold the leash. However, it's uncommon that the human is leading the direction. Instead, they unknowingly follow where the dog pulls them, granted they stay close. Interesting, no?"

She watched as the girl became visibly confused, but what Bora found more amusing was the way the masked agent suddenly shifted, as if uncomfortable with the way Bora was speaking. Unable to contain the smile on her lips, Bora jumped back into action, her plan to take out the smaller girl first. She took notice of their formation, side by side yet the brunette was the only one who wasn't in a defensive stance. Bora quickly sidestepped to the left, dodging a punch from the smaller agent and using the momentum to counter. As she was about to strike, she saw the masked girl move again to stop her and Bora smiled, getting exactly what she wanted. At the last second, Bora planted her foot, switching the dagger’s course towards the masked agent’s neck. She could tell she caught her off guard, but it wasn’t fast enough. Her wrist was stopped in place as the familiar gloved hand wrapped around it. Bora leaned back before sending a kick to the girl’s stomach, specifically the area near the stitches. The girl dropped to the ground, but Bora didn’t have time to watch before a fist connected with her jaw. It wasn’t as strong though, and she quickly shook it off.

As they exchanged blows, Bora backtracked a little bit, letting herself stay on the defensive while observing the pattern in the brunette's swings. It was noticeably easier now that she wasn’t getting attacked by two people at once, but she knew that wouldn’t be for much longer. She had to take this agent out before the other girl recovered if she wanted a better chance at winning. Blocking an incoming fist, Bora grabbed the girl’s hand with her own. Her free hand slammed across her cheek bone, smiling at how good it felt to finally get a decent blow on the annoying girl. Bora swung again, her fist sending the agent stumbling backwards. Waiting for her to attack, Bora’s eyes flicked down to the masked agent who was slowly starting to stand up. She noticed red liquid spreading in the white bandages, gradually recoloring it. Bora suddenly felt the slightest hint of worry, but it was quickly cut off as she felt a crushing feeling against her ribs.

Her back slammed against the cold, solid dirt, skidding back a few inches. She winced as she slowly put a hand behind her, sitting up. Pain seared through her chest, though she was thankful that it didn’t feel like any ribs were broken. With her eyes momentarily falling down to a cut on her wrist, Bora felt the world stop upon seeing a silver bracelet a few feet in front of her, not on her wrist anymore.

"No..." her voice was barely over a whisper as tried to scramble forward to grab it, but another boot slammed against her chest, pushing her back. Her mind wasn't even focused on the fight anymore, basically being a free target. She swallowed as black boots walked in front of her, Bora’s eyes slowly lifting up to meet the brunette's arrogant eyes. The girl pulled out a knife, bending down on Bora’s level. Bora stared for a moment before letting out an annoyed sigh. 

“This is embarrassing,” she muttered. Losing to her was the last thing she wanted or expected, though she wasn't beat quite yet. There was a small dagger next to her hand, and Bora very slowly inched her fingers towards the weapon. She silently cursed herself, upset with the way she let herself get distracted mid fight. Distracted by an enemy, if she wanted to add more to scold herself over.

“It’s not embarrassing,” the girl smiled. “It’s reality. I was never going to lose.”

Bora could only chuckle humorlessly. “Right. Everyone saw how I had your ass beat.” 

“Then why are you the one with a blade to their neck?”

A small breath left Bora’s lips as she felt cold steel pressing against her neck. She bit her lip, knowing she couldn’t answer the question anyway. It wasn’t like she was going to admit her moment of weakness if she was going to die anyway. That’s just like dancing on her own grave.

“Not going to answer?” The agent cocked her head. “That’s alright. I’m done talking to you anyway.”

Letting her eyes fall on the broken silver bracelet, Bora bit her lower lip, her fingers finally reaching the dagger. Her lips curved up into a smile, the arrogance of the brunette being her downfall. Although admittedly, Bora had been known to talk a little too much in situations as well. Tightly gripping the hilt of the weapon, Bora gathered the last remaining bit of energy she had.

"Shouldn't have broken my bracelet," she mumbled underneath her breath as she glanced at the broken jewelry.

As her hand began to move, a sudden gasp came from the girl’s throat, and the blade against Bora’s neck tumbled to the ground. Bora looked up to see what was wrong, because she hadn't even lifted the dagger off the ground yet. A sharp inhale left her lips as she saw a knife plunged through the girl’s back, the tip of it poking out from her stomach. It definitely wasn't her own.

“Wh-what the hell?” The brunette choked out, knees threatening to buckle. “S-Siy-“

Her words were cut off as Bora saw a gloved hand reach from behind, clasping over her mouth as if to stop whatever she was about to say. In one swift move, the hand flicked to the right, effectively snapping the agent’s neck. Bora sat frozen as the body collapsed lifelessly in front of her, revealing the masked agent. The air stilled as Bora stared wide eyed, unknowingly holding her breath. The girl’s head slowly tilted down, stopping once she saw Bora, then continued down to the dead body. Bora watched as she slowly bent down, a hand reaching towards the dead girl, dipping into one of her pockets. Her eyes narrowed in confusion before realizing what was going on as she saw the agent fish out a familiar looking flash drive. 

“Wait,” Bora whispered under her breath. She was never entirely sure what this girl’s intentions were, and she still wasn’t. However, what she just witnessed put at least some pieces together. 

Snapping back into reality, Bora frowned, a sigh leaving her lips. “I had that handled. I don't need you trying to save my life.”

The girl stood up, pocketing the flash drive. “I didn’t save your life,” she spoke with a set tone, not revealing any emotion. The fact that she even spoke surprised Bora. “It had been my plan to kill her from the start, I just happened to kill her before she killed you.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” she rolled her eyes. The girl only turned around and began to walk away. 

Bora got to her feet, dusting off her shoulder. “I still need that flash drive.”

The agent stopped, turning her head to look at Bora. “Then come and get it.”

A playful smirk pulled at Bora’s lips as she tilted her head. “Are you inviting me over?” She teased before pulling out the last dagger that was strapped to her thigh. She noticed the way the masked girl’s head seemed to follow her hand as she lifted the side of her skirt to grip the blade. Bora’s eyebrows raised, about to tease her again before she spoke.

“Don’t forget that I have an objective,” she spoke coldly. “Get in my way and I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

Bora narrowed her eyes, not loosening the grip on her dagger. “What’s on that flash drive that you want so bad?”

The girl didn’t answer, turning her back and walking away. Bora’s teeth grit out of anger, feeling her sanity slowly drift away as if it were walking next to the agent. She was tired of playing this back and forth game. She was tired of not knowing what the Cobra agent wanted. If she even was a Cobra agent, Bora had no idea anymore. If she thought she was confused before, now was a totally different story. Had the girl killed her partner under the context of following orders? Or did she kill her for her own benefit? 

“If you leave without telling me then I’m done,” Bora called out. The girl paused for a moment, and Bora continued. “The next time we meet will be the last.”

It seemed as if the agent hesitated to take a step forward, and the moment she did, she retracted it. Bora watched carefully, unsure as to why she felt nervous. There was a long moment of silence before Bora heard the smallest voice disappear into the wind.

“Fuck it,” the agent whispered before turning back around to look at Bora. 

“Come with me.”

“What?” Bora furrowed her eyebrows with a small chuckle. “You can’t actually think I’m that stupid, right? I don’t necessarily like being tortured,” her voice trailed off before taking on a mischievous tone. “Unless it’s in the bedroom.”

“God you’re annoying,” the agent sighed. “Do you ever take anything seriously?”

Bora hummed in thought for a moment before nodding. “Marvel and my plants.”

“It was a rhetorical question,” the girl deadpanned. “Anyway, if you don’t want to follow me I don’t care. You’re the one who wants to know why I want it.”

“Why would you consider telling an enemy something private?”

They stared at each other for a few moments, trying to reveal the answer that wouldn’t be said. “We’re enemies who have a common interest at the moment. I know you’re interested in me, if you weren’t you would have killed me already. Let yourself indulge a little.” 

“Why do you sound like the devil bribing me to have sex?” Bora frowned, though admittedly wanting to accept her offer.

“Why is sex the only thing you think about?”

A genuine laugh left Bora’s lips at the pure confusion in the other’s voice. “What? You don’t have any urges or desires?”

The girl firmly shook her head, crossing her arms. “Definitely none that involve you.”

Bora couldn’t wipe the smile off her face despite the insult. Something about her responses was… Cute. “How rude,” she pouted sarcastically. “Even in this outfit you’re still not interested?” She asked in a lower tone, reaching her hand to her skirt as if she was going to lift it a little.

The masked agent sighed, slightly shaking her head. “Are you coming or not?”

There were pros and cons to everything in life, that was a given. Bora never really took those into consideration though, her mind always going with the answer that brought her excitement. She loved the thrill of danger, so it was best to say her decision making wasn’t the best. Parting her lips to give answer, Bora suddenly heard a pair of footsteps in the distance, and a voice she recognized as Minji’s calling her name. Her eyes widened, completely forgetting the fact that Minji had said she’d catch up with her. She also noticed the way the Cobra agent tensed up, slowly backing away.

“I knew it,” the girl exhaled under her breath. “You were only trying to stall me.”

There was a clear sense of hurt laced inside her tone, and Bora didn’t even have time to explain before she disappeared into the woods.

“Damnit,” Bora clenched her jaw in frustration. Everytime she got close to the agent, it felt like she was thrown back to the beginning. 

Hearing Minji running up behind her, Bora turned around. “What’s up,” she mumbled, unable to hide her disappointment.

“What’s up?” The purple haired girl asked in disbelief. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Bora pointed to the dead body on the ground. “She died, the other got away.”

Minji’s eyes followed her finger, landing on the lifeless girl. “I’m guessing the other one had the flash drive?”

“Yeah,” Bora nodded with a yawn. “She ran while this one blocked me. By the time I killed her it was too late.”

“Wooseok is not going to be happy,” Minji exhaled. “I’ve never seen him so mad.”

Shrugging, Bora stretched out her arms before walking. “Should've kept it in a safe if it was that important.”

“Honestly,” Minji chuckled, following next to Bora. “Now for the next however many months, he’s going to send us on missions to track that thing down.”

Bora’s eyebrows raised, not even realizing the potential. In normal circumstances, she’d find that to be boring. However, this gave her a better chance to find the Cobra agent again. She could only hope that she’d be assigned on those missions.

“Yeah,” Bora hid her smile. “That’s gonna suck.”

They walked back to the dorm together in comfortable silence, Bora wanting nothing more than to take a bath and go to bed. Her body was sore from the fight, and warm water would probably do wonders for her muscles right now.

“Well, we didn’t get our night out,” Minji sighed longingly. “Yooh and I leave in a couple days, so after that for sure."

“Hopefully,” Bora leaned against her friend as they walked. “But something tells me Wooseok isn’t going to let us rest unless that flash drive is back.”

A small chuckle left Minji’s lips. “True.”

Standing back up straight, Bora bit her lower lip. “Do you ever wonder what’s so important about it?” She asked, trying not to sound suspicious. 

“What do you mean?” Minji glanced over at her questioningly.

Bora shrugged. “Cobra has never performed such a direct attack like that before, and it was something that was in Wooseok’s home.”

There was a silence as Minji thought about it. “I guess that’s true, but no, I don’t really wonder what’s on it. Probably something work related that we’re not classified to know.”

Bora felt her heart sink, but instantly shook it off. “Yeah, probably.”

The next day quickly rolled by, Bora feeling too depressed to move after realizing last night that she had forgotten her bracelet in the park. She felt like a part of her soul was ripped out, and although it may seem dramatic, she really just wanted to lay in bed and never move again. That bracelet meant more to her than anything in life. It was the one thing she had left to remember Siyeon by, and losing it felt like one last slap in the face to her old friend. Siyeon entrusted that bracelet to her many years ago, before they were even friends. Maybe Bora shouldn’t have ever worn it while fighting, but she also felt incomplete every time she took it off her wrist. It always felt like if Bora had the bracelet on, a part of Siyeon was still with her, and that they were never completely separated. Sighing dramatically, Bora hid under her covers even more before hearing a knock on her door.

“Bora, open up you have a package.”

“Minji,” she groaned. “I didn’t even order anything and I’m not in the mood. Just let me sulk for a bit.”

She knew her friend was just trying to get her to open the door so they could talk, and Bora wasn’t having any of it. Or at least that’s what she thought.

“I’m serious Bora, you have a package. Please just open up, I’ll leave you alone once you take it.”

Bora furrowed her eyebrows, peeking her head out of the covers. She was sure she hadn’t ordered anything. "Who is it from?"

“Doesn’t say. There isn’t a name."

A humorless laugh left Bora’s lips. “Nice try-“

“Bora I swear to god if you don’t open the door.”

Bora shot out of bed, running to the door and unlocking it. The last thing she wanted was an angry Minji. She could handle anyone when they became mad, but Minji was a whole different story. That girl was scary. 

“It’s open!” She reassured as she opened the door. The girl looked at her with a smile before handing over a small white package. “So you weren’t lying?” Bora mumbled as she took it.

“No,” the purple haired girl laughed. “I’ll let you open that, I’m gonna go start packing for my mission tomorrow. Get some rest, okay? You look worn down.”

“I will,” Bora smiled. She was always grateful for Minji’s concerns. “Be safe, tomorrow, okay?”

Minji nodded with a smile and closed the door, leaving Bora to her dark room. Walking back over to her bed, Bora sat down, skeptical to open the package. There was no name, only her own on it. Shrugging, she figured what’s the worst that could happen and opened it. Turning on the lamp, Bora hesitantly peered into the box before her eyes widened, heart nearly stopping in shock. A thin, shiny piece of silver jewelry was laying at the bottom, next to a small card. Bora instantly reached inside, taking out the bracelet and inspecting it. It was definitely her bracelet, the one Siyeon had given to her. She looked closely at the clasp that had broken during the fight, noticing that it was welded back together in a very clean manner. She felt her eyes start to sting as she clasped it around her wrist, the missing piece finally back in place. Almost forgetting about the small card, Bora pulled it out, squinting to read the small print.

Maybe don’t talk so much and you won’t forget things.

“What the hell…” The smile on her face instantly fell with a frown, although she couldn't help the barely audible chuckle that escaped her throat. “You really know how to ruin the mood.”

Tossing the card away, Bora put her focus back on the bracelet. Her finger lightly traced over it, her lips curving back up into a warm smile. It was obvious who sent it. The only person who would do something nice and then write a card like that, it had to be the Cobra agent. Not to mention that she was the only one who saw the bracelet break off. What Bora didn’t know is why the girl went back to get it just for her, and even welded it back together. Glancing over to her window, Bora rested her eyes on her freshly bloomed carnations, the red color accenting her room and unknowingly spilling into her veins. She smiled, feeling happy that her plants were happy. Her back fell against her soft blankets, lifting her hand to look at the bracelet. She felt a warm feeling in her chest, and it was like the doom and melancholy she felt minutes ago was never there. 

“I almost failed you again, didn’t I,” She whispered, tilting her head to the side where her friend would be lying if she were here. “Siyeon?”

Bora felt like she could almost feel her friend’s presence, reminiscing on the way they used to lay side by side and just talk for hours about anything. She missed the way Siyeon could make her laugh even in the worst times. She missed everything about her. And that’s why she hated how the masked girl’s image flashed through her mind at the same time. In particular, the half of her face that was showing that one night. The more Bora thought about it, the more it resembled the picture Gahyeon had shown her. It was unsettling, and Bora wasn’t even instantly denying it anymore. And the more she thought about the other agent, the more warmth she started to feel. Bora swallowed dryly, almost shivering as she could hear her voice in her mind. She wondered if the agent knew. She wondered if she knew how wrong Bora felt, because it seemed like she knew everything else. Hell, she apparently even knew where she lived, seeing as she sent her the bracelet. It was like the girl held an imaginary hand around Bora’s throat, knowing everything about her, but Bora knowing nothing in return, and she could tighten the grip around her neck at any moment. 

A part of her wanted exactly that.


	7. alliance

The hallways were empty, no one being awake at this ungodly hour and for good reason. A defeated sigh left Bora’s lips as she dragged her feet towards her hotel room. It was another day of useless searching. At this point, Bora wasn’t even sure it was worth it anymore. Every Cobra agent she found and encountered (which had been more than she could count), hasn’t given away any information on the flash drive she was looking for. It had been two months since it was stolen out of Wooseok’s home, and in that two months, she had been home maybe three times. The same went for Minji, Yoohyeon, Yubin and Gahyeon. They were all dispersed on missions for the same reason. To find the flash drive. In that time, Bora has traveled to countless cities and countries, anywhere that she was given a lead to. None of it ever panned out, and if anything, this long, grueling mission was at least cutting down some of the numbers for Cobra. Basically, it felt like she was just working alone. The only time she ever recieved orders or news was when there might be a new lead for her to chase. Otherwise, she’s been completely alone, chasing something that seemed to have just disappeared in thin air. 

Similar to the specific Cobra agent she was looking for.

It had been two months since she saw her as well, never crossing paths again since that night. It was like she too disappeared into thin air, or maybe she just didn’t want to be found. Either way, in the beginning, Bora had hopes of finding her seeing how the next however many months of her life would be dedicated to hunting Cobra. But that couldn’t be more painfully opposite. There was nothing. Radio silence. It frustrated Bora even more knowing that the girl could find her if she wanted to, and give some hint as to where she was. Maybe something had gone wrong. Maybe Cobra found out that the girl had killed her partner for whatever reason. Maybe she was already dead, and Bora was hoping to run into a ghost. But what was the most irritating thing to think about is what if she was okay? It had been two months, and there was nothing released about the flash drive. If the girl wanted it that badly, why do nothing with it for two months?

It was frustrating Bora beyond belief, and it was even worse knowing she still had another week in this boring town. And who knows when the next time she’d get to go home and take a break was. At least she was getting paid, that was something. Still, what was the point of having all that money and not having the time to spend it. At this point Bora was exhausted, mentally and physically. Having to be aware of your surroundings every second of the day was tiring, and she was sure her movements were getting careless. She decided on taking a couple days off the next time she moved locations. Maybe enjoy some shopping if it’s a cool town, or maybe go out to the club. Anything to relax for a bit. 

Holding her key card up to the door handle, a small clicking noise indicated the door had unlocked, and Bora tiredly pushed it open before stepping in. She yawned, disappointed with today’s results. Flipping on the light switch, Bora took off her leather jacket and ran a hand through her freshly dyed red hair. She had decided to recolor it about a month ago, seeing as her blonde hair was pretty much worn out. Brown never really interested her, and red being her favorite color, she decided to try it out. She was uncertain about it at first, but once it dulled a little bit into a deeper color, Bora loved it. It was probably her favorite hair color she’s had, although she did love blonde a lot. 

Stretching her arms, Bora began walking to the bathroom to take a well needed shower. As she turned the corner, her intuition suddenly sent out a red signal, the feeling of being watched coursing through her entire body. Spinning around on her heels, her reaction to the warning signs was a moment too late, the edge of a hand skillfully slicing against the back of her neck, instantly turning her vision black. The last thing Bora had felt was something around her waist before her entire body fell limp.

Bora’s eyes slowly fluttered open, not able to notice anything except the dull pain in her wrists and neck. Her vision was blurred before it gradually came into focus, seeing nothing but a dark concrete wall in front of her. She very slowly turned her head to look on either side of her, hearing the clattering of a chain. Still, there were only concrete walls. There were no windows, nothing that she could see to make sense of where she was. Her head felt stiff, and she tried to lower it to stretch her neck a little bit but was stopped as she felt cold metal pressing against her trachea. The pressure made her cough lightly, and she tried moving again before realizing it was something wrapped around her entire throat, chained to the ceiling. Bora then tried pulling her arms down, the circulation starting to feel odd. But again, it was the same thing. Cold metal cuffs around her wrists, chained highly up against the wall and a little behind her, pulling her arms back just a little bit compared to her chest. Her knees were beginning to feel sore as that’s what was supporting most of her weight against smooth concrete. She frowned, wondering how she even got here.

The sound of a door creaking open behind her startled her, attempting to turn her head but forgetting she couldn’t. She swallowed dryly as she heard boots against the floor, feeling the metal cuff rub against her neck with the movement. The footsteps rang in her right ear as whoever it was walked around, the anticipation building as she caught her first glimpse. Black boots and black pants revealed themselves, and Bora let her eyes gradually travel up, seeing a black tshirt tucked loosely into the pants. Her eyes grew wide as she landed on the black mask, though this time, strands of black hair laying out from under it. Her lips parted to say something but was beat to it.

“You’re awake,” she heard the girl say in a bored tone. “You must have been tired, you weren’t supposed to be knocked out for as long as you were.”

Bora narrowed her eyes, remembering what happened before passing out. “What the hell is this?” She tugged at the chains, the masked girl only pulled a chair over from the corner, taking a seat in front of her. Bora instantly noticed the way the agent apparently didn’t know how to sit with her legs closed.

“I wouldn’t pull at the chains,” she leaned back against the chair, draping an arm over the side. “It’ll only hurt worse.”

There was a silence as Bora stopped resisting, the quiet sound of the chains rattling being the only thing that filled the room. “Why?” She bit her lip angrily. “Where am I?”

“You were looking for me, weren’t you?” The girl slightly tilted her head. 

Bora’s eyebrows furrowed. “How did you know?”

“You should be careful when you talk to yourself.”

“What does that even mean?” Bora frowned, frustrated by the vague responses and the situation in its entirety. “Actually, nevermind, I don’t care. Tell me where I am.”

The girl didn’t answer for a moment as if thinking about what to say. “We’re in my home,” she said, completely surprising Bora.

Looking around, Bora couldn’t help but chuckle at the existing room. “You mean to tell me you have a sex dungeon in your apartment?”

“Again with the sex talk,” the agent sighed, rubbing her temples behind her mask before looking back up. “This isn’t an apartment. It’s more like an abandoned storage building I fixed up.”

“I see,” Bora slowly nodded. “So then you willingly added a sex dungeon to an abandoned storage building?”

The girl’s head dropped with a disappointed sigh. “Stop calling it that unless you want me to bleed you dry right here.”

Bora couldn’t help the small smile that pulled at her lips before getting rid of it, becoming serious again. “What is your motive actually? If you want information then you can just go ahead and kill me.”

A part of Bora was confused at the sudden hostility. She didn’t remember doing anything to make the agent mad at her. So why she was knocked out and dragged here made no sense to her, and she wasn’t getting the answers she wanted fast enough. With the lack of response, Bora frustratedly narrowed her eyes.

“I want answers.”

The masked girl stood up, walking closer to Bora. “That’s not why I brought you here.”

Lifting her head up as best as she could to meet her covered eyes, Bora let a small smirk play against her lips. “Oh?” She tilted her head. “Did you finally experience those desires I talked about? I didn’t know I’d be the lucky girl.”

Bora felt pain around her throat as the chain jerked up, the agent holding it tightly in her fist. Still, despite the choking feeling, she couldn’t hide the smile that ghosted on her parted lips. 

“Don’t make me kill you,” she heard the girl speak calmly, still not losing the composure in her voice.

"If that's what you're into-"

Bora’s words were stopped as the agent let go of the chain, causing her head to whiplash. “Seriously,” the masked girl shook her head with a sigh as she disappeared behind Bora.

The sound of the door closing echoed through the empty room, Bora frantically looking around to see if she had really left. “Wait, don’t leave,” she pleaded despite no one being there. Realizing she was alone again, she let out a long sigh, the restraints around her wrists and neck starting to hurt. Still, she didn't regret teasing her.

Minutes and seconds passed by slowly, and Bora had no idea how much time had even passed. She’d guess probably close to an hour because her hands were starting to feel numb. She couldn’t hear anything past the door, and the uncertainty of everything was wearing her down. It wasn’t until she heard the door creak open before her head shot up, fists clenching and unclenching to try and fight off the tingling feeling. The masked agent walked in behind her, and Bora unknowingly held her breath. She heard the footsteps stop somewhere near her side a little, and Bora suddenly felt cold fingertips brush against her wrist. A quiet gasp left her lips at the sudden touch, not expecting to feel skin against her own.

“Does it hurt?” She heard a quiet voice ask, fingers falling off her wrist. 

“No,” Bora replied stubbornly, ignoring the slight shiver she felt upon hearing her voice.

“Then why’d you react that way?” The agent asked as she walked in front of Bora, holding a water bottle in her hand. The first thing noticed was how there weren’t gloves on her hands this time, the first time Bora ever seeing her long, slim fingers.

“I wasn’t expecting to feel fingers against my wrist.”

Opening the water bottle, the agent lightly nodded. “Oh,” she said as she held the cap with uncertainty. “I didn’t mean to be gone that long. The cashier wouldn’t stop talking.”

A halfhearted chuckle left Bora’s lips. “You must be hiding an attractive face under there,” she lifted her head, looking back at the black mask. “Maybe you should show me.”

Bora watched as the water bottle was lifted up to her lips as if offering her a drink. “Not happening,” the agent said as she held the bottle steady. “Drink, you need water.”

“Then take off the chains,” Bora frowned, not accepting the gesture. 

“Open your mouth or I’ll force it open.”

With that ultimatum, Bora reluctantly parted her lips, tilting her head back as much as she could before the metal collar around her neck pulled too much. She felt the mouth of the bottle very gently touch her lips, pouring a small amount of water in before pulling back, letting her swallow. She took a few more drinks before feeling satisfied, bringing her head back down and feeling a drop of water trickle down her chin. The agent put the cap back on the bottle, tossing it on the floor and bringing her hand up to Bora’s face. Bora watched it with skepticism, ready to pull her head back if necessary. But instead of having to be defensive, Bora’s eyes widened as she felt a thumb swipe across her chin, very briefly brushing over her bottom lip.

“Do you usually treat your prisoners well before killing them?” Bora narrowed her eyes, ignoring the way her pulse was quickening.

The girl took a step back, sitting on the chair. “I’m not here to kill you. I want something from you.”

Thinking of all the sexual innuendos she could make, Bora decided on staying serious for once. “I’d be more inclined to listen if I wasn’t chained up.”

“I have to be careful,” she answered flatly. “I have no way of knowing if you’d comply.”

“So you knock me out and then chain me up? Words work too, you know.”

“Do they?” The girl’s voice suddenly turned bitter, like she was mad at something. Bora was confused but didn’t comment, letting her continue. “People can say whatever they want without an ounce of sincerity,” her fists slowly balled into fists, an action Bora didn’t miss. 

“They can be said sincerely too,” Bora replied softly, picking up on the buried vulnerability in her voice. 

“I thought that too,” she laughed humorlessly under her breath, and Bora almost didn’t hear it, but she did. Before she could respond, the agent stood up, walking closer. “I need your help,” she finally got to the point, Bora’s eyes widening at the request.

“My help?”

The girl nodded her head. 

“For what?”

“The flash drive. I'm selling it."

Bora's jaw dropped before furrowing her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, you're what?"

"I'm selling it," she repeated, the lack of getting to the point irritating Bora.

"So you spent all that time trying to get it, and now you're selling it?" Remembering something the agent had mentioned before, a small frown grew on Bora's face. "Wait, you said Cobra wants it for money, but you also said you wanted it for different reasons. Did you lie to me?"

The girl quickly shook her head. "No, I didn't lie. The night I killed my partner, I killed her because I originally intended on going back and pretending like we lost and failed to retrieve the flash drive. Things obviously didn't go as planned, because I don't have it anymore. They found it on my body and punished me for hiding it."

Bora winced, knowing that being punished probably meant some form of torture. “So that’s why I haven’t seen any traces of you.”

“So you were looking for me?” The girl cocked her head, confirming what she had claimed earlier. 

A scoff left Bora’s lips. “No, I was just curious. But if you killed your partner, does that mean you're not really working for Cobra?”

"I do whatever benefits me," she answered vaguely. "Anyway, Cobra is sending it to a yearly party between allies. This party is known to hold auctions for various items, and they're sending me to supervise the trade. If I'm alone, there's no way I'm going to be able to leave the party with the flash drive and cause a scene to hide the evidence. That's why I need you."

Letting the situation soak in, Bora bit her lower lip in thought. It added up, and it definitely didn't seem like she was lying. However, it was also the perfect plan for a trap. "I need more details. I need to know your plan."

"I don't have a plan," the girl said in a set tone as if it were obvious. Bora raised her eyebrows, about to laugh as if it were a joke before she continued. "Of course I have one for myself, but I didn't make a plan for two. If you do say yes, I want you to help make a plan with me, not me telling you what to do."

Bora blinked in shock a couple times, unsure if she heard her right. "You want to let me help? Why?" The way the girl had considered her feelings even before all of this made Bora feel... Something.

"Trust is a two way street," she heard a small sigh from underneath the mask. "And I'm not stupid, I know you would never trust me, I work for Cobra after all. But there's going to have to be a temporary compromise if this happens, because we'll both die if we go in there cautious of each other."

There was a long moment of silence as Bora stared quizzically. She had no idea if this agent was really that blind or not, not to mention naive. "The way you talk like there isn't already trust between us amazes me," Bora laughed, though not too hard to agitate the metal around her throat. "I mean seriously, I get it, you're techincally my enemy. But we've both had numerous opportunities to kill each other, and neither of us did. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, we already have some form of trust going on here."

There was no answer as the agent seemingly pinched the skin on the back of her hand. "If that's what you think," she muttered. “Anyway, will you help me or not?”

“What happens if I say no?”

Shrugging the agent put her hands in her pockets. “I knock you out and take you back to your apartment and we go our own ways. I'll continue with this plan alone.”

Frowning, Bora didn’t really like the idea of being knocked out again. She also secretly didn't like the thought of the girl doing something that risky alone. “Tell me what’s on the flash drive first. I still have no idea, and it may not be something worth allying myself with a Cobra agent for.”

“Is that all you see me as?” The girl asked, slight disappointment mixed with curiosity in her voice.

“If you want my honesty, then no,” Bora sighed. “But not killing someone and helping them are two different things.”

“A chemical,” the agent defeatedly answered. “That flash drive holds years worth of research on a new specific chemical that will be used for torture and other unethical things. I'm not really sure myself, but I've heard my bosses mention how it practically melts someone's brain, and you can ask them anything you want with a guarenteed truthful reply. I'll tell you more if you end up agreeing to help.”

Bora felt her heart stop. There was no way, right? If that was the case, why wouldn’t it have been destroyed or kept locked in a vault? Something like that should never exist, no matter who got their hands on it. Working for the Government didn't make that any different. The boundaries between ethical and unethical were often blurred, especially when you consider the pros and cons of doing said action. But Bora was sure that even just by the description of this serum, it shouldn't exist at all. 

“If you’re actually being serious,” Bora spoke doubtfully. “Why the hell would I help you get the flashdrive? What do you want it so badly for?”

“I want it as evidence.”

It was a simple answer, but one that didn’t resolve anything. “Then we don’t want the same thing. I want to destroy it.”

“Think about it,” the girl uncharacteristically snapped. “What was your superior doing with it? Why was it not locked in a safe? He was trying to sell it, Bora.”

A nervous laugh left Bora’s lips, not wanting to believe what the agent was saying. “Wooseok? He’s not that smart. He may be a dick, but he wouldn’t do something like that. It's-”

The chain holding her neck up suddenly jerked as the girl pulled at it in frustration, causing Bora to choke. “Are you not listening at all?" The girl raised her voice. "That flash drive is worth millions. You think people aren’t persuaded by that?”

“Are you not?” Bora choked out, the sound making the agent loosen her grip on the chain.

“No,” her voice went back to being quiet. “I lost something much more valuable than money, and I want it back.”

Silence fell over them as Bora thought about everything that was just said. Deep down, it made sense. She had been suspicious for a while now, and Wooseok lying to her about the flash drive being locked in evidence was the icing in the cake. Bora bit her lower lip in thought, wondering if there was a right or wrong answer here.

“If I help you, you have to take off your mask.” She had her ideas already, but she wanted to see for herself.

“I’ll tell you what,” the agent shifted. “Once this is all over, I’ll show you. But after that we go our separate ways for good.”

Although Bora didn’t necessarily like the last part, and although she still didn’t have all her answers, she already knew what she was going to say. 

“If you’re lying to me about anything, then I’ll kill you.”

She could almost hear a small smile as the girl spoke. “I expect nothing less.”

“Then I’m all yours,” Bora winked suggestively, unable to contain her desire to tease the girl. She felt fingers brush against her neck as the metal cuff snapped open, her teeth mindlessly taking her bottom lip between them at the sensation. 

“You really talk too much,” the agent sighed before taking off the hand restraints, though the sigh sounding much less annoyed than the others. Almost like she was hiding a smile while letting out the small breath of air. 

The sudden lack of chains holding her up made Bora collapse, her strength completely gone for the time being. The agent dropped to her knees, catching Bora’s body before it could fall to the floor. Bora inhaled as her body pressed into hers, not having the strength to push herself off. In fact, she could barely even keep her eyes open anymore, her eyelids feeling extremely heavy. 

“What was it you said about personal space?” Bora teased lazily, finding the agent’s body heat to be way too comfortable. 

“Do you want me to drop you to the floor?”

A small smile pulled at Bora’s lips as her eyes closed, wanting to laugh but lacked the energy. “Just joking,” she whispered. The last thought she had before passing out was how she forgot to thank her for the bracelet.


	8. calm before the

Bora woke up for the second time that day, completely disoriented as her eyes opened to an unfamiliar grey ceiling, and also an unfamiliar smell. She frowned, inhaling deeply again to take in the scent of the soft blanket that was draped over her. It was a nice and fresh smell, comforting but definitely foreign. And now that she brought her gaze down, so was the large, dark grey couch she was laying on. It definitely wasn’t her hotel room, and as Bora was starting to regain her memory, she heard a noise behind the couch. Sitting up, Bora turned her head to the right, looking over the couch and into a space that was obviously a kitchen. Her eyes instantly fell on the taller girl, who was carrying a bowl in her direction.

“Finally,” she heard the girl speak as she walked around to the couch, handing the bowl to Bora. “You sleep a lot.”

Taking the bowl, the smell of ramen filled Bora’s nose, making her stomach growl. “You made this for me?”

The masked girl sat down on the couch next to her, although creating a healthy distance. “Yeah. You need to eat,” she said, pointing to the coffee table in front of them. “There’s water too.”

“Thank you,” Bora held the bowl gratefully in her hands. She was waiting for it to cool off, the heat probably enough to burn her mouth. As she waited, she quietly studied the girl next to her. She was wearing black sweatpants and a black t-shirt, being the first time Bora had ever seen her not in her combat outfit. It was almost relieving to see, acting as another reminder that underneath that mask, there was indeed just a normal girl. Speaking of her mask, her usual black mask that encompassed her entire head was different, this one only hiding her face, allowing her hair to be free. She had really beautiful and long black hair, and Bora was glad she was finally able to see it all rather than just a few strands.

“Is it morning?” Bora asked, having no idea of the time. There weren’t any windows in this place and her phone was still at the hotel, so she had no way of knowing. 

The agent shook her head. “It’s midnight. You slept for a few hours after passing out again.”

Bora suddenly remembered the last moments before she fell asleep, how the girl had caught her before falling entirely. She remembered how warm she felt, the thought suddenly making her realize how cold the room was kept. A small blush crept up on her cheeks after realizing that she must have been carried in here. It seemed the agent was either rough and aggressive or gentle, it never really felt like there was an in between. That was often a sign of being slightly unstable, but Bora wasn’t one to judge because she definitely had issues on her own. If anything, the gentleness seemed more like who the agent was deep down. Someone kind and attentive. Actually, attentive is exactly what Bora would describe her as. She seemed to always be listening or observing, because everytime Bora thought about or wanted something, it felt like the girl already knew. How someone like her got entangled in an organization like Cobra, Bora wanted to know.

“What exactly are you hoping for?” She asked, still unsure of this whole thing. 

The girl looked over at her, tilting her head. “For you to eat?” 

“No,” Bora laughed for a moment, finding the confused response funny. “I mean with the flash drive. Everything. I still don’t know your intentions or purpose, or anything for that matter. I don’t even know why you never killed me with the opportunities you had.”

“Why didn’t you?” The agent countered. Bora looked at her for a moment before dropping her head with a small chuckle.

“Touché.”

They fell into a silence again, and the ramen Bora was holding finally cooled off a bit, letting her take a bite. It was extremely good, the flavors hitting her tongue in unison, all complimenting each other. The warmth of it felt nice as well, warming her up despite the cold room. As she took another bite, she heard the girl speak again.

“Sometimes I think ignorance is the best thing,” she started, gaining all of Bora’s attention. “With a mask, you don’t know who’s underneath it. It allows you to project what you either want to see or someone you’re reminded of onto it. I think that’s true for a lot of other things. You don’t know what’s underneath, or at the core of something, and so you portray it the way you’re comfortable with. Questions can tear that utopia down with the snap of a finger.”

A frown formed on Bora’s face as she swallowed a few noodles. “Do you always have to talk so cryptically?”

“I’m saying I can’t answer a lot of your questions. Not now, at least. Like I said, I want the flash drive as evidence. That’s as much as I can say about it.”

Although it annoyed Bora, she understood. Sometimes she wondered if things would be easier if she hadn’t questioned the Government agency. “Something tells me you were caught putting your nose where it didn’t belong,” Bora joked lightly, earning a quiet chuckle from behind the mask.

“Yeah, you could say that.”

There was indifference in the reply, but Bora could tell it was probably something that brought pain. “Then can I ask what you hope is done with the flash drive? You obviously disagree with the contents as well.”

“I just want it to be handled in an ethical way. I would destroy it myself, but then I’d lose the evidence I need. If you’re worried I have some evil ideation involving it, you don’t need to be. If I did, I definitely wouldn’t be asking a Government agent for help.”

Bora nodded, satisfied with the answer though not really thinking the girl had ill intentions anyway. “If Cobra is selling it, does that mean they don’t care about the information on it?”

“They do,” the girl sighed. “However, the flash drive is encrypted and they don’t want to spend the time or resources trying to crack it.”

“Then they’re just going to give information that powerful away?”

“Of course not. Once whoever buys it is able to access the information, Cobra will just send out agents to take it back. Backstabbing our allies, it’s what we do best.”

There was no pride in her voice at all, almost like a bitter observation. “I see,” Bora nodded slowly. “Why didn’t you just ask me from the start? We’ve been fighting for months now.”

“I wasn’t looking for help,” the girl shifted, Bora once again noticing how she sat with her legs open. “In fact I was never looking for help. But you kept annoying me with questions every time we met, and I wondered if you had doubts about the people you work for.”

“I’ve had doubts for a long time,” Bora smiled sadly, not sure as to why she was about to confide in a stranger. “They probably started when I was fifteen.” She thought about the day Siyeon was taken away from her, and how she felt upon hearing how the adults lied to her about being able to join Bora’s unit. If she remembers correctly, Wooseok was the one who oversaw that “test”. It was pure manipulation against kids, using them to their desire. Bora witnessed it first hand.

“Anyway,” she continued with a sigh. “I ignored that feeling, because I buried the thing that triggered my doubt deep inside. There have been a lot of instances where I’m wondering if my agency really are the supposed good guys, but I guess I never cared enough to do anything. That is, not until I met you.”

The girl suddenly looked at her, hands lightly gripping her sweatpants. “There are no good guys. Maybe in the name of morality there are, but for the most part, people with power do things for their own gain and wealth. I don’t mean everyone obviously, but people like your superior, who was trying to sell the flash drive. They’re more common than people think.”

Bora fell back against the couch, staring at the ceiling. She knew that. She always knew that, but was always too scared to think into it. “Then what are we supposed to do? What can we even do?”

“Nothing,” the girl stated simply. Bora frowned, glancing at her from the corner of her eye. “What?”

“Nothing,” she said again. “You can’t do anything. Those people are already high in status and power, there is nothing we can do. And that’s why after this is over, you need to stop asking questions.”

A scoff left Bora’s lips. “I think I can make that decision for myself.”

“Do you think you’re the only one who’s started to question the Government agency?” The agent snapped. “Because you’re not. Those who have are dead.”

“I don’t care,” Bora challenged, turning her body to face the girl. Her annoyance blinded herself from the agent’s words. “If you want me to stop then you’ll have to put me back in chains and force me to stop.”

There was a silence as they stared at each other, waiting for the other to back down. “Would you like that?” The masked girl suddenly asked with a tilt of her head. Bora’s body slightly jerked back in surprise, her eyes widening at the suggestive speech. 

The agent stood up, grabbing Bora’s empty bowl. “That was a joke,” she muttered lifelessly as she walked behind her towards the kitchen. “Don’t get any ideas. It’s the only way I know how to get you to stop arguing.”

Standing up as well, Bora’s eyes followed the girl into the kitchen. “There are other ways as well,” she put on her signature smirk.

“Great,” the taller girl sighed. “Somehow I knew you wouldn’t stay serious for very long.”

A small chuckle left Bora’s lips. “Even after being serious for more than five minutes I still have no idea what the plan is for the party.”

“We’ll talk about that tomorrow. You probably need to go back to your hotel and make sure no one is trying to get a hold of you.”

Bora’s eyes widened, completely forgetting she had been gone for almost 24 hours. “Right,” she tried hiding the disappointment in her voice, defaulting back to her constant teasing. “Is this your way of kicking me out?”

“I’m sure you were planning on leaving anyway.”

Bora continued to take a few steps towards her, wanting to test the boundaries of how close she could get. She carefully observed the way the girl leaned back against the counter, hands mindlessly resting against the edge. 

“What if I was wanting to stay the night?” Bora tilted her head with a curious smile. “The night is dangerous.”

She decided on stopping a few steps in front of the taller girl, seeing the way her hands began to grip the counter. A sense of pleasure ran through her body, being able to get this close without an immediate reaction. Usually, a knife would be at her throat right now, threatening her to back off. Bora didn’t know why it felt so satisfying, and she didn’t know why she craved this girl’s trust so much. It was getting hard to remember they were still enemies, temporarily putting their differences aside. It didn’t feel like they had any differences at all. 

“I’d say you know how to take care of yourself,” the girl finally answered, using Bora’s own words against her.

A smile pulled at Bora’s lips as she took a couple steps back. “You’d be right.” As she was about to turn around, Bora suddenly remembered the bracelet around her wrist. “Oh,” her eyes lit up. “I never got to thank you for giving my bracelet back.”

“Don’t thank me,” the girl brushed past her shoulder as she walked back to the couch. “I just happened to see it while taking care of the body.”

“I’m serious,” Bora frowned, walking towards the door. “You even fixed it. You didn’t have to do that, but you did.”

Taking her silence as a sign that she didn’t believe she was truly grateful, Bora could only sigh, resting her hand on the handle. She hesitated opening it for a moment, a question in the back of her mind bothering her. Turning her head, Bora found the girl already looking at her.

“Do you miss anyone?” She asked. “Sometimes it feels like you’re chasing something. Obviously there’s a reason you want the flash drive, but..” Her voice trailed off as she bit her lower lip. “I can’t bring myself to see you as a bad person anymore. It feels like there’s something else behind your actions, so I’m wondering if there’s someone you miss.”

There was a long silence as they stared at each other, Bora understanding by now that it meant the girl was thinking of how to answer. 

“Do you have someone you miss?” The agent deflected the question, making Bora realize that despite the progress she’s made with her, it still wasn’t enough. Memories of Siyeon flashed through her mind as her hand gripped the door handle tightly.

“No,” Bora answered with a lifeless tone. “I have people in my life who feel like family. There isn’t time to miss friends or lovers, not in our line of work.”

That would only disrespect the dead. 

The girl didn’t speak for a while, her head very slowly nodding. “I see,” she said quietly. “Having the strength to move on like that is admirable.”

Bora frowned at the response, sounding more bitter than anything. “Answer my question now. I answered yours.”

“I chased after someone for years,” the taller girl chuckled humorlessly. “If I had it in me to miss those I once cared about anymore, I wouldn’t be where I am.”

Just like anything she had ever said, it was a complete yet vague answer, only leaving Bora with more questions than she started with. But it was surprisingly true and made sense. Though this girl didn’t seem inherently bad, she was still working with Cobra, and that meant that to get where she is, she would have had to prove herself to them. Somehow she strayed down the wrong path, and Bora wondered if there was anyone in that girl’s life who could have stopped it. She wondered if there was anything she could do about it. But she knew that would require much more trust first, and though the agent had dropped her walls a little bit, it almost felt impossible to push them down any further.

“I’m sorry,” Bora said honestly, opening the door. “For whatever happened. Underneath everything, you seem like a caring person. I’m sorry something ruined that.”

With that, Bora slipped out of the door, closing it tightly behind her. She let out a deep breath that she didn’t know she was holding in, letting her hand slowly slip off the cold handle. Maybe she shouldn’t jump to conclusions about the girl, and maybe she was just being tricked. But Bora had dealt with enough criminals to distinguish those who have nothing but their own interest in their mind, desiring nothing but chaos and greed between those who care about others and how their actions affect them. Realizing she was outside with no idea where she was, Bora glanced around the area, cold air dusting against her face. It seemed like the edge of the city, mainly being big industrial buildings. She started walking for a while, finding a street that wasn’t empty. Bora waited for a taxi to drive by, flagging it down and giving the address to her hotel. Surprisingly, it was only about a ten minute drive, Bora taking mental notes of the roads taken to get there. She had no idea how they were going to meet up tomorrow, so if anything, she’d just knock at the girl’s door.

Walking into her room with a yawn, Bora made her way to the bedroom where she had last placed her phone. Thankfully there weren’t any missed calls or important notifications. She had messages from Minji and Yoohyeon, but that was just their group chat. After responding, Bora took a long, hot shower, letting all the events of today run through her mind. There was a lot to think about, maybe more than she could handle at one time. A part of her was starting to doubt things, wondering if this was really the right thing to do. But now she wondered exactly what was right and what was wrong. There were obvious ways to distinguish that, but she was specifically talking about her current situation. Was partnering with this Cobra agent really as wrong as she kept telling her herself? In technical terms, it was. Because if she’s caught doing it, then she’ll probably be executed for treason. But it’s not even treason at this point, because she’s investigating Wooseok. However, that only led her to wondering what exactly would happen after that. It almost felt like a battle that had no victory. He probably had some alibi to all of this, and maybe Bora was only chasing death at this point. She wondered if she should tell Minji or Yoohyeon, because she hated keeping secrets from them, though something the agent had said earlier was right.

Ignorance is bliss. If Bora were to get Minji and Yooh involved in this, then they’d be on the chopping block just as much as she is. Because in the end, there really isn’t a right or wrong. It’s your personal beliefs, and if her friends don’t have a clue what’s going on underneath the surface, then there’s no reason to tell them. It brings unnecessary guilt and anxiety, something Bora has felt for years now. She’d handle this by herself, or rather with the help of the Cobra agent. If they happen to make it past all of this, then Bora would have to think about what to do. Maybe Wooseok is the only one involved in this. Maybe if he’s taken down, then she can go back to her normal life. Bora would hold on to that hope and belief, no matter the cost.

Bora closed her hand, bringing it up and knocking against a cold steel door. The place looked much different in the daylight. It just looked like maybe a storage building for a nearby factory or something, the outside being nothing but dark grey, almost blue concrete. It was a small building on its own, wedged between a couple other taller buildings. This part of the city was practically a ghost town, and Bora understood why she chose it. Not getting an answer, Bora sighed, bringing her hand up to knock again before hearing the door unlock. She watched as the door slowly cracked open, her body freezing as she saw an eye peeking through the small crack. It wasn’t open enough to see anything else, and Bora had half a mind to just push the door open herself.

“Seriously…” She heard the girl on the other side groan before closing the door again. Bora frowned, gasping in offense.

“Did you just close the door on me?” She wiggled the already locked door handle.

“Yes,” a raspy voice deadpanned on the other side. 

Bora’s mind was stuck on the slightly deeper than usual voice for a moment, finding she liked it. Realizing she was stuck outside, Bora slammed her fist against the cold door again. “Let me in you asshole,” she yelled, annoyed by the fact that she could tell the agent was still right on the other side.

“I’ll think about it.”

Her voice was slightly more muffled, and Bora could tell she had put her mask on. Sighing in irritation, Bora turned around, leaning back against the door and looking up at the sky. “I’ll just be here-”

The door behind her suddenly opened, causing her to completely lose balance and fall back with it. Her arms flailed as she tried to grab anything to stop her fall, but there was nothing besides air. Her back crashed against a sturdy frame, being softer and warmer than the floor.

“Be careful,” she heard a low voice next to her ear. Before Bora could process it, the person behind her sidestepped, making her lose her balance again. Only this time, Bora was able to catch herself.

“What the hell?” She furrowed her eyebrows as she looked up at the girl. “What’s the point of catching me only to do that?”

The masked agent only shook her head, walking over to the couch. “I didn’t catch you, you fell into me.”

Bora’s eyes intently followed her, the first thing she noticed was the grey sweatpants. She was pretty sure it was the first time she’d ever seen the girl without black on. The next thing her eyes landed on was the couch and the coffee table in front of it. There was an open laptop with countless papers messily spread out, almost reminding her of a mad scientist of some sort. Watching as the girl sat back down on the couch, she followed suit, taking a seat next to her.

“Did you do all of this last night?” She questioned, letting her eyes roam the table.

“Yes,” she heard the raspy voice answer again, grabbing her attention. The girl sounded extremely sleep deprived.

Her gaze moved from the papers back over to the less protective mask. “Did you sleep at all?”

“Couldn’t.”

Bora nodded for a moment before a small smirk played on her lips. “Why? Were you thinking about me?”

“Thinking about killing you? Yeah,” the girl mumbled, leaning forward and picking up a document.

Bora only laughed at the response, finding it oddly endearing how the agent was definitely not a morning person. It was a new personality trait discovered, and she liked that. Although the fact that she probably hadn’t gotten much sleep was pulling at Bora’s nagging side.

“You should get some sleep,” she said seriously, gaining the attention of the girl. “I’ll just sit on my phone until you wake up.”

“No way in hell am I sleeping while you’re in here.”

Bora crossed her arms defensively. “What, you think I’d wait this long just to kill you like that?”

“Who knows,” the girl shrugged, the lack of trust stinging Bora more than it should.

Sighing, Bora shifted to stand up. “Then I’ll leave and come back when you’re awake.”

“Don’t,” she heard the agent order firmly. “Don’t leave. You’ll probably just get into trouble.”

Bora defeatedly sunk into the couch. She didn’t know what the girl wanted from her. “I was just going to subtly explore the city.”

“Nothing you do is subtle,” the girl deadpanned.

“Whatever,” Bora mumbled, regretting her decision on coming today.

They sat in silence for a while, the only noise in the open room being the sound of papers shifting every few minutes. Bora was beginning to wonder if she should just leave, because the girl next to her wasn’t offering her any information at all. Almost as if her mind was read, a paper suddenly appeared in front of her face, the agent holding it out. Bora looked over, meeting hidden eyes. She shifted her gaze to the paper, taking it in her hand and letting her eyes scan the page. It was an invitation, the title reading Laurent Masquerade.

“Masquerade?” Bora narrowed her eyes, reading the font. 

“It’s an invitation to the auction,” the girl next to her clarified. “They call it a masquerade, people usually wear masks of some sort to hide half of their face, just for safety.”

Bora nodded slowly, continuing her reading. From what she gathered, it was held on… Monday, which was tomorrow. The location was in some code she wasn’t able to decipher, but she was sure the agent next to her already knew where it was.

“Monday?” Bora asked as she set down the paper, bringing her gaze up to the girl who was still watching her. Her head slightly jerked almost as if she had been caught staring, but Bora couldn’t see her eyes so it was impossible to tell.

“Friday,” she answered. “It says Monday but that’s just code for Friday, in case it were to get in the wrong hands.”

“I’m pretty sure you are the wrong hands,” Bora chuckled lightly, and she swore she heard a quiet laugh from underneath the mask.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” she said as she looked back over at the laptop. “Anyway, the party is Friday, so about a week away. It’s held at a mansion owned by a guy named Laurent, and he’s pretty notorious for these kinds of services, offering a neutral area. He’s got tight security in case fights break out and all that.”

“You sound knowledgeable about it, have you been before?”

The masked girl nodded. “This will be my second time. I went last year with the girl who accompanied me to steal the flash drive.”

Bora raised her eyebrows. “You’ve known her for that long?”

“She was the first person I met when I joined Cobra,” the girl spoke distantly. “Sort of like a mentor, you could say, though that wasn’t her role. She approached me first, and was the only one who talked to me every single day. She went with me on my first mission, and I went with her on her last.”

An uneasy feeling began to form in the pit of Bora’s stomach by the way the agent was speaking. “And you just… Killed her? You didn’t even spare a second glance.”

“She was in my way. I told her not to come that night but she did anyway.”

“Still,” Bora frowned. “Did you not even feel anything at all?”

The girl glanced in her direction, and Bora suddenly desperately wished she could see her face. “Why would I? I’m not here to make friends.”

The way she spoke so indifferently and emotionlessly made Bora believe her. She felt no guilt towards killing her mentor, and it scared Bora a little. “Having friends doesn’t hurt,” she spoke carefully. “I mean I don’t have many, but the ones I have are the only reason I’m still here.”

“Fascinating,” the girl obviously lied, and Bora realized she had struck a nerve again somehow. “My only friend forgot about me and discarded me like trash. I think I’ll stick to myself.”

Bora understood a little better now, the resentment in the girl’s voice being something that showed itself every now and then. “Did you kill them too, then?”

A quiet scoff came from behind the mask. “No. It’s not her fault I was naive.”

“It’s not being naive to have a friend,” Bora interjected, wanting to try and prove the girl wrong somehow. “Sure, it can hurt, but that’s life. You know, when you’re not hiding it, you’re a pretty kind person. I guess that could be an act to get my trust, but I don’t really care at this point. I don’t like Cobra but it seems like you kind of killed the only person who liked being around you in there. Friendships can’t be born if you kill those closest to you.”

"That girl wasn't a good person," the agent mumbled, turning her head to her lap. "I watched her murder innocent people for fun, and she also forced me to assist her in various ways, not just with missions."

Bora felt strings pulling against her heart, the want to protect the girl suddenly washing over her. Maybe it was the tone of her voice, how it sounded more human than a moment ago. One thing was for sure though, there was more behind killing her partner than the agent let on in the first place. Bora had already figured that, not believing that the girl purely killed her out of her own benefit. She was starting to notice personality patterns, and she was noticing how the masked girl prioritzed her emotional walls with a mental mask. However, it seemed that mask would slip every now and then.

"See?" Bora smiled, reaching her arm out to pat the girl's shoulder teasingly. "I knew you weren't that heartless."

The agent's body tensed underneath her hand. "Touch me again and I'll kill you."

A laugh left Bora's lips, though not removing her hand from her shoulder. "That was almost as threatening as a baby wolf baring it's teeth."

As she expected, the girl didn't follow up on her threat, only sighing as she sunk in her seat. Respecting her wishes, Bora let her hand slide off her shoulder, bringing it back to her side. She thought about what the agent had said a moment ago, and the smile on her lips quickly fell. She wanted to know about her past, and how she got to this point. There seemed to be a lot of bitterness and hatred behind her words at times, and Bora found herself wanting to know why.

"Hey," her lips moved before she could realize it, her voice sounding softer than usual. As the girl lifted her head to look at her, Bora felt her mind completely blank. She had no idea what she was even going to say in the first place, but she definitely knew there was no way she was going to act interested in her past. "Have you eaten anything today?"

It was a quick fall back, and she patted herself on the back for making it sound natural. "No...?" The agent's voice trailed off with confusion. 

Bora clapped her hands together as she stood up. "No wonder you're unusually difficult to get along with today." She began walking to the open kitchen behind the makeshift living room, hearing the girl behind her shift on the couch to watch her.

"What?" She could almost hear the frown in the agent's voice, obviously offended Bora had called her difficult.

"You need to eat," Bora chuckled, opening the refridgerator. "You made me food last night so it's only fair that I make you something. And maybe that way you'll stop being so grumpy."

She searched through the rather empty shelves, pulling out a carton of eggs and some sausage. There wasn't much to choose from, but at least there were the essentials for some breakfast. Bora walked over to the stove, finding an already clean pan resting on top. She turned on the heat, cracking a few eggs and going through the cabinets to try and find a plate while they were cooking. Having no luck on the fifth time, Bora frustratedly turned around to ask the agent where the plates were. 

"Where the hell are the plates?" Bora asked as she looked at the girl, noticing the way her head suddenly snapped to the left, away from her. 

"To your right," she muttered, and Bora couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. 

"You can watch me, you know," she teased in a low voice. "There's no need to look away."

"I wasn't watching you."

Bora only chuckled lightly as she turned back around, moving her hand towards the cabinet on the right. She found the plates and bowls, taking a couple out and setting them on the counter. Bora quickly finished cooking, cooking the eggs like Minji had taught her to with a little bit of butter. Once the sausage was done she carefully put everything on a plate, bringing it to the dining table.

"It's done, come eat."

She saw the girl hesitate in standing up, realizing that she'd have to take her mask off. "Oh right," Bora bit her bottom lip. "Don't worry, I can just hang out in the sex dungeon while you eat."

"For the last time," the girl sighed. "It's not a sex dungeon."

"It could be," Bora winked as she walked in the direction of two doors. "Which room is it?"

"The one on your left," the girl pointed, and Bora nodded, walking towards it before stopping with her door on the handle.

"Feel free to follow me in when you're done," she teased before pushing the door open, revealing the room with chains. The door quickly closed behind her, leaving her alone in the small, cold room.

Maybe it should have occured to her that she just willingly walked into a makeshift interrogation chamber, but it was too late at this point. She slowly walked forward, inspecting the sturdy chains hanging from the ceiling. Her hand reached out, brushing gently across the cold metal. The quiet sound of the chains moving against each other filled the room, sending shivers down Bora's spine. She could tell the room was recently cleaned by the smell, and that made her think about the rest of the area. Overrall, this little hideout/house place was clean. In the kitchen, things were pretty spotless, and all the furniture and cabinets were modern. The layout almost reminded Bora of a studio apartment or a penthouse, and on the outside, you'd never guess the inside to look the way it does. This girl definitely had money, although that wasn't surprising to Bora. Money is usually the main incentive for joining people like Cobra, and seeing how strong and talented the masked agent is, it's only right that she was paid well. Making her way over to the chair lingering in front of the chains, Bora sat down with a quiet sigh. 

The silence of the room suddenly put her thoughts underneath a spotlight. "What am I doing," she whispered to herself as she leaned back, staring up at the ceiling.

What was she doing. That was the question that she didn't want to think about. Helping a Cobra agent, that's exactly what she was doing. Until now, she had justified it with wanting the flash drive, but there was nothing to ensure she wouldn't be stabbed in the back. There was no back up plan. Bora didn't have Minji, Yoohyeon, Yubin or Gahyeon on the ready. Hell, they didn't even know about any of this. She wondered what they would say if they did. Minji would probably freak out and make sure she was okay, Yubin would probably just smack her over the head and call her a dumbass. Bora smiled at the thought, missing her friends more than she realized. A part of her wanted to just go home and forget about all of this. She wanted to go back to the comfort of her old life, but it was far too late now. The guilt would eat away at her, knowing that the flash drive is somewhere out there waiting to be put to use. But that was assuming the agent wasn't lying to her about what was on it, and that was another issue on it's own. Sure, Bora was having fun teasing the girl and found her reactions funny, but that didn't mean she cared about her. Maybe she could end this before it escalated. She'd made fake friendships before for missions and never faltered when it was time to kill them. Now shouldn't be any different, right?

The door suddenly opened, pulling Bora away from her thoughts. Her eyes dropped from the ceiling, falling on the girl who was standing in the doorway.

"Um," the agent spoke, rubbing the back of her neck. "Thank you for the food, it was pretty okay."

Bora raised her eyebrows, noticing the shy tone in her voice. The way she spoke made it obvious that the food was more than just okay, but she wasn't wanting to admit it. Bora hadn't even felt the warmth that ran through her cheeks, unable to tear her eyes away from the hesitant girl. It was like that hostile and grumpy attitude from earlier disappeared, and Bora figured that the agent's mood would plummet if she was hungry. Noted.

"Pretty okay?" Bora smiled. "My ego is hurt, I wanted you to say it was delicious."

"It was okay," the girl deadpanned, her usual stoic tone back, but Bora didn't mind. She found it to be comfortable. 

Bora pushed her bottom lip out, slanting her eyebrows upwards to give her the best pout she could. "Come on, tell me it was good," she begged before lowering her voice. "Praise me."

She enjoyed the way she could visibly see the girl's body tense, her fingers slightly twitching. "Whatever," the agent muttered before turning and disappearing into the main room.

The smile on Bora's face felt impossible to wash off, her cheeks almost hurting from how strong it was. "Cute."

Bora stood up from the chair, following the direction the girl had walked as she left the room. The doubts she had just a moment ago were unknowingly left behind as well, falling apart as soon as the agent had opened the door. Spotting the girl on the couch, Bora joined her, purposely sitting a little closer than usual. The girl didn't seem to notice as she was reviewing a document, and Bora glanced over to see what she was reading.

"Are you not eating?" She heard the agent ask, flipping over the paper to read what was on the back side.

"I ate before coming here," Bora answered. "I also slept before coming here, something you should learn how to do."

The girl didn't respond, setting down the page and leaning forward to type something in her laptop. Bora watched intently, pictures of a large mansion popping up on the screen. Her eyes widened, the pure opulence radiating from only the outside of the building intriguing her.

"This is the the place where the auction will be held," the girl turned the laptop a little so Bora could see it better. "It's in a very secluded neighborhood, and the nearest house is about half a mile away. There's only four houses nearby, and they're all owned by Laurent and his crew, so basically, they own the entire area."

Bora frowned, being unable to imagine the wealth. "How rich are these people?"

"They've bought themselves out of jail numerous times, practically having the police in their back pocket. That's why they're perfect for these kinds of things."

If they were that powerful, Bora was sure she should have heard of them. "If they can bribe the police, do you think they've ever paid off someone in the Government agency?"

"Probably," the girl answered. "Obviously you haven't heard of them, so their identity is still safe. I don't expect your agency to not have run into them at least once. So yeah, I'd assume someone was paid to not say anything."

It was the answer Bora was expecting, but not necessarily wanting to hear. She wondered how many other things are buried that she doesn't know about. "Anyway," the agent continued. "We're going there tonight to check out the area and then we'll work on a plan for the rest of the week."

"Tonight?" Bora asked with a pout. She was planning on going out to the bar or something.

The girl looked over at her, tilting her head. "Yes. Did you have plans?"

"I mean I was going to-"

"Well cancel," Bora wasn't able to finish her sentence before being cut off. "You're coming with me tonight."

The way she had spoke like Bora didn't have a choice surprised her, the sudden act of dominance not being unusual, but the way she was so forward about it was new. Usually, Bora would get annoyed by someone trying to control her, but now she found it intriguing.

"You should be careful with how your word things," Bora smirked jokingly. "Some girls might read into that differently."

The girl lightly shook her head with a sigh, looking back down at the pile of papers, picking some up and tossing them onto Bora's lap. "Shut up and start your research."

A smile tugged at Bora's lips, sitting up straight. "Yes ma'am."

The two of them mostly sat in silence for a few hours, Bora asking questions every now and then, the girl answering to her best ability. Other than that, they didn't talk, Bora actually taking the research seriously. She didn't want to be unprepared for any of this, and she also didn't want to make the agent be the one who had to do all the work. She thoroughly read through each document, learning about Laurent and his crew, as well as a lot of the other groups that would be there. She had already heard of most of them, but it went into detail by telling her how many people from each group would be attending. At the end, she calculated about a hundred people that would be going to the auction. On average, there was ten people from each organization. 

The next thing she went over was the blueprints of the mansion. They weren't official blueprints, but rather a map the girl had drawn from experience. It was surprisingly well detailed, some rooms even including the estimated square footage. At this point, Bora wasn't sure if the agent was really a human or an android instead. Everything she did exuded extreme precision which required exceptional observation skills. Bora thought that was definitely something she could learn from her. As her eyes scanned the sketched out blueprint, Bora got dizzy by all the rooms. There were nine bedrooms, and she wondered who could possibly need so many. Maybe to have sex in a different room every night, although that would be pretty narcissistic, even for Bora. Though she definitely wouldn't be opposed.

"Thinking of something?" She heard the voice next to ask curiously.

"Huh?" She looked over, seeing the girl already observing her.

"You have that look on your face, like you're thinking about something that's probably not related to any of this at all."

Bora's eyebrows raised slightly, surprised at the way the girl seemingly could read her facial expressions that well. She hummed for a moment, thinking of a response. "If you want to know, I'll tell you," she spoke in a suggestive tone, giving the agent all the information she needed.

"No thanks," the girl looked back towards the laptop. "I can already tell it'll just annoy me."

A mischevious smile grew on Bora's lips as she contemplated on continuing or not. Of course, she had to. "I was thinking," she started, earning an annoyed groan from the masked girl. "Nine bedrooms is quite the surplus of rooms."

"Nice observation dumbass."

"The party is going to be pretty boring," Bora continued, not letting the girl stop her. "We might as well waste some time in some of them."

"Either do it by yourself or pick someone from the party."

Bora frowned, not getting the reaction she wanted. "You'd let me?"

"I'm not your babysitter," the girl sighed. "As long as it doesn't get you into trouble I don't care. Besides, maybe you'd calm down for once and stop acting so needy."

"If it annoys you that much you could just do something about it yourself," Bora smiled, slightly tilting her head. "Besides, I probably wouldn't shut up unless it satisfied me."

The girl glanced over at Bora, and Bora desperately wished she could see her eyes right now. "Something tells me you're not easily satisfied."

"Do you want to find out?" She almost whispered like someone else was listening, just loud enough for the two of them two hear. 

"Not interested."

Bora let out an exasperated sigh. The more the agent showed her disinterest, the more Bora wanted to win it over. It was an addicting game, one that she knew would have the most satisfying reward. But it also happened to be the most difficult.

"Anyway," Bora checked the time on her phone. It was already eight at night, and she wondered where the time went. "When are we going?"

"Probably midnight."

Bora furrowed her eyebrows? "Midnight? What are we supposed to do until then?"

"Keep reading?" The girl answered as if it were obvious, but Bora's brain was already done for the day.

"No way," Bora shook her head. "Come on, let's do something else. We've been going over these documents for hours."

"Then what do you want to do?"

Deciding to spare the agent of anymore teasing for the day, Bora thought seriously. "Go out to eat?"

"Can't."

"Break into a garden and steal their flowers?"

"What?" The girl turned to look at Bora. "No. What kind of idea even is that?"

The redhead shrugged. "I like flowers."

"That doesn't mean you can just steal them from someone's garden. Plus you literally work for the Government, I don't think that's legal."

Bora crossed her arms with a pout. "A little stealing never hurt anyone." 

"Honestly," the girl sighed. "If you want to see flowers that badly I can take you to a garden sometime this week."

"Really?" Bora's entire body perked up.

"You really want to see them that badly?" The agent chuckled lightly before thinking of something. "If you're good tonight I'll take you tomorrow."

Bora suddenly felt warmth spread through her cheeks, the way the girl worded that not processing in her mind the way it should have been. Although at the same time, she didn't have to word it that vaguely. It almost felt like she was being toyed with, but again, Bora had her own limit of teasing, and she knew she had well passed it today already.

"It better be a pretty garden," Bora stood up, stretching her arms.

"I like it," the girl shrugged, grabbing Bora's interest.

"You go there a lot?"

"Occasionally."

It was one of those answers that sounded modest. "I see," Bora turned around, smiling to herself. "I'm gonna go out and get food, is there anything you like?"

"Anything but shrimp," the agent answered, turning her focus back to the papers in front of her.

Bora frowned, opening the door. "Take a break for a little bit, you're going to overwork yourself."

"I'm fine," the girl muttered.

Rolling her eyes, Bora closed the door behind her, letting the cold air hit her face. She began walking towards the nearest street, thinking about what to order. "Anything but shrimp..." She thought to herself, her visible breath disappearing into the air. The answer reminded her of Siyeon and how the girl used to hate shrimp, saying they had too many legs. Since their food was moderated and given to them in those facilities, if they got shrimp in one of their meals, Siyeon would always make Bora eat hers. Bora didn't feel the sad smile ghosting her lips, shoving her hands in her pockets as the icey air bit them. Deciding on chinese, Bora pulled out her phone and looked for the nearest restaurant. Finding a highly rated one in the city a little bit, she pocketed her phone and waited for a taxi.

Once she picked up the order, Bora made it back to the agent's place with still a couple hours left until they were supposed to check out the area of the party. She assumed the door handle would be locked, but tried opening it anyway. To her surprise, it opened, the quiet creak of the door interrupting the silence. Slipping through the door, Bora closed it behind her before walking in. Her eyes fell on the girl who was still sitting on the couch, only her head was slightly falling to the side, a few papers sprawled out on her lap. Bora curiously walked over, watching the girl intently. Her breathing was soft, and she showed no indication of knowing Bora was there. Bora came to the conclusion the girl had passed out while waiting, the effects of not sleeping the night before unsurprisingly kicking in. Contemplating on whether or not to wake her up, Bora decided on letting her sleep, despite knowing the girl will probably be angry when she wakes up.

"Oh well," Bora whispered to herself. Consequences were never really something she considered. They had five days until the auction anyway, it was fine.

Taking the girl's food out of the bag, Bora set it down on the coffee table along with a few napkins and a fortune cookie. She listened to her soft and calm breathing for a little while longer, a small smile pulling at her lips. Deciding not to stare any longer, Bora turned around and quietly made her way towards the door. She carefully opened it, turning one of the locks on the door so it would lock once closing. She wasn't able to do the rest of the locks, but at least this one offered a little more protection rather than being left completely unlocked. Stepping out, Bora gently followed the door with her hand so it wouldn't slam shut, letting out a small breath once it was closed.

The cold air oddly didn't feel as bitter as it did a minute ago.


	9. rejecter

"You should have woken me up."

"Will you stop throwing a fit over it?" Bora sighed, moving to the side as the girl walked out of the door. "Seriously, it's been an hour and you're still whining about it."

"Because you should have woken me up," the agent reiterated, closing the door and locking it. 

Bora frowned, walking alongside her in the dark, cold night. "You needed to sleep. You almost slept an entire day, I thought maybe you had died in your sleep or something."

"Whatever," the girl muttered. "Let's just get this over with."

"Yeah," Bora agreed, nuzzling her chin in her scarf a little more. "It's cold as hell out here."

"I told you to bring a jacket."

A frown formed on the redhead's lips. "I don't have a cool black leather jacket like you do."

The masked agent glanced over at Bora for a moment before focusing back forward. "Sucks."

Bora sighed as they walked down the empty street, wanting nothing more than to just crawl in bed or take a warm bath. It was midnight, almost twenty four hours since she left the girl alone to sleep. Since meeting up again, the agent hasn't stopped pouting and telling Bora she should have woken her up. Despite her disapproval, Bora didn't agree. Sleep was important, and they'd be okay with one less day. There's only so much preparation you can do anyway. A drawback to all of it was the fact that Bora didn't get to go to the garden today, the agent telling her she didn't deserve it for letting her sleep in. It was unfair if you asked her, but it's not like she knew where this garden was, so she couldn't just go on her own. The girl told her they could go tomorrow if things went well tonight, so Bora was on her best behavior. 

"How far away is this place anyway?" Bora asked, hoping that it wasn't too far.

"Twenty minute drive," the girl answered with a yawn. "I'll drive us there, but I park in a parking garage about another block away so we have to get there first."

Bora wouldn't argue a free ride, already looking forward to blasting the heater. As the streets became a little more crowded, they tried taking alleyways so they wouldn't be seen as much, but it was inevitable to eventually run into someone.

"You two dressed up for the cosplay party?" Bora heard someone behind them ask. She turned around with raised eyebrows, seeing a man probably around her age.

"A cosplay party? Are those actually a thing?"

"Yeah?" He replied quizzically. "I mean, that's where I'm headed right now. I see you two have fake pistols, so obviously you're cosplaying as agents or something, right? Which video game?"

Bora opened her mouth to reply, but was beat to it by the girl next to her. "Do you want to find out if they're fake or not?" She asked, moving her hand towards her thigh.

Bora frowned, quickly smacking the back of the girl's head. "Are you stupid?" She whisper yelled, quietly scolding the agent before turning to the man with a smile. 

"Sorry about her, she really likes to get into character," an awkward chuckle left her lips. "Anyway, we're late for something so bye."

Grabbing the agent's wrist, Bora dragged her away in the direction they were walking. Once they were out of sight, she dropped her hand, putting her own back in her pockets.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Bora picked up where they left off.

"Me?" The girl argued back. "Did you not see the way he was staring at you?"

"Who cares?" Bora yelled. "At least he obviously appreciates my body."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Bora crossed her arms, fixing her eyes on a passing streetlight. "I like attention," Bora muttered. "Something you don't give."

The girl looked at her for a while as they walked, obviously left without an answer. "Are you seriously mad because I won't tell you you're body is attractive? We're literally enemies from opposing agencies."

"So?" Bora fired back. "I'm stuck with you for a week, and apparently you won't even let me go out for a night."

The agent shook her head. "Unbelievable."

Bora turned her head away, hiding a small smile. At the end, she was mainly only arguing to see what the girl would say. It was nice, knowing how a few months ago the girl wouldn't even bother talking back to Bora for something trivial like this. There was definitely progress made, and she liked how she was gradually getting to talk to what felt like a real person. Bora was too busy in her own mind to notice the way the girl next to her was watching her out of the corner of her eye.

"We're here," she heard the agent speak. 

Focusing her gaze forward, Bora's jaw dropped as her eyes landed on a sleek black sports car. "This is yours?"

"Sort of," the girl walked around, opening Bora's door. "I stole it."

"Good lord," Bora pinched the bridge of her nose before sliding in the luxurious vehicle. It was extremely comfortable and kept clean.

The girl got in the drivers seat, starting the car. "You gonna arrest me, officer?" She joked, Bora raising her eyebrows at the tone.

"At this point I might as well arrest both of us."

She imagined the girl smiling underneath the mask, though she wasn't able to tell. Bora felt the heaters turn on, only making it a matter of time before they warmed up. She got comfortable, letting her head rest against the shoulder of the seat, looking out the window. Buildings slowly began to move as the girl gently stepped on the gas, being a more cautious driver than Bora imagined. It quickly turned very relaxing, the soft movement of being inside a car always soothing to Bora. She felt the air finally start to warm up, defrosting her frozen hands and face. They slowed down at a stoplight, Bora's eyes never leaving from the window.

"Still cold?" She heard the girl ask, and Bora shrugged. 

"A little, it's warming up in here though."

The agent nodded, silence falling over them again. Bora let out a small breath, watching how the window slightly fogged up. It reminded her of her childhood, how that was the last thing she saw before being pushed out of the car by her parents. Her finger traced an unrecognizable shape against the window, the cold air on the outside biting through the glass. Bora was about to close her eyes before feeling a hand brush against the outside of her thigh, her body slightly jerking in response as her head snapped to the left.

"What are you doing?" She asked in slight panic, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Turning on your seat heater?" The girl answered confusedly, retracting her hand. "Why are you so defensive?"

Defensive? Bora almost laughed at the thought, finding it funnier that the girl was serious. "You know, for someone who's extremely observant, you can be just as clueless at the same time."

There was no reply after that, Bora knowing that it meant the agent was pouting. She chuckled quietly, turning her head back to the window as the car began to move forward again with the green light. The seat warmer was starting to make its presence, almost sending shivers up Bora's spine with how good it felt. She hated being cold more than anything, so she embraced the new warmth source as if it were gold. The rest of the car ride was silent, though not an uncomfortable one. Silence was something Bora learned to deal with and almost enjoy after spending time with the agent, since the girl would only talk if prompted to. Bora always hated silence, thriving off the chaos of being around a lot of people. However, now it wasn't so bad, and she attributed it to the company one was in when sitting in a quiet atmosphere. 

The passing streetlights would occasionally illuminate the inside of the car, offering a soft glow that Bora found relaxing. The repetitiveness of it began to slow down as the car lost speed, eventually coming to a stop on the side of the road. It was a few minutes outside of the city, not many cars passing by. "It's about a ten minute walk from here," she heard the girl unclip her seatbelt buckle. Bora nodded, moving to open the door before being stopped.

"Wait," she watched as the agent reached in the back of the car, pulling out a white mask. "Wear this in case something happens. You should keep your identity safe."

Bora looked down at the white mask, slowly taking it in her own hands. It was similar to the black one though not entirely, having no face, just there to hide your features. "Did you make this?" She asked, never seeing one of them before.

The agent nodded. "While you were passed out in my interrogation room. I made it in case you were to agree to all of this."

Bora opened her mouth to say something serious, trying to be good so they could go to the garden tomorrow. However, self restraint wasn't particularly her strongest trait. "You mean the sex dungeon?"

The girl looked at her for a moment in silence before sighing and exiting the car. "You know, I hear Laurent has a few guard dogs chained up. I'm sure they wouldn't mind some extra food."

Bora shivered as she stood up, closing the passenger door. "Alright you win, I'm terrified of dogs." Inspecting the white mask one last time, Bora strapped it around her head, ensuring it would stay in place.

"These things are sturdy," she marveled as she shook her head around a couple times as if she were at a rock concert to test it. "No wonder yours never falls off."

"It would kind of defeat the purpose of keeping our identity hidden if they fell off during a fight," the girl deadpanned, beginning their walk forward.

"It was a compliment for how well you made it," Bora frowned. "Just say thanks for once."

"Thanks for being annoying."

Bora's eyes rolled, shoving the girl with her shoulder. "Not what I meant."

They walked down a paved road for a minute before diverting into a lightly wooded area. Bora had seen a pretty large house in the distance, but the agent told her that wasn't the one. Basically they were taking a shortcut to Laurent's house, as well as staying mostly hidden and becoming aware of their surroundings. In case they had to make an escape the night of the party, it was good to try and remember the right direction out of here. Despite being protected by trees, it felt like the wind had picked up, cold air slicing against Bora's exposed skin. A quiet whine left her lips as she protectively crossed her arms, really wishing she had some form of a coat.

"What are you, a dog?" The agent asked as she tilted her head to look at Bora after hearing her whine. 

"Shut up," the redhead grit her teeth, bracing herself for the cold wind. "It's freezing out here."

The girl only hummed, facing forward again. They walked a little longer before stopping, Bora looking at the agent as if wondering why they were stopped. "If something happens and we get seperated Friday night, meet here. It's just out of view from the mansion."

Bora nodded, looking around and taking mental notes of the area. "What if it's not possible to meet here?"

"Then do what you need to survive and don't worry about the other person. Make your way back to your hotel or something, I'll find you."

The answer made Bora think of something, remembering how she always used to wonder how the girl could find her so easily. "I never really thought about it, but I'm guessing your position in Cobra is being an assassin?"

"It is," the agent confirmed. "I've been trained to be an assassin my whole life. Once I find someone's identity I can pretty much track them wherever they go, which is why I've always been able to find you."

It made sense to Bora, except for one thing. "Then how did you figure out my identity in the first place?"

There was silence for a moment, the girl glancing at Bora before looking forward. "If I told you all of my secrets then there wouldn't be much point to the mask anymore."

"True," Bora chuckled halfheartedly. Despite wanting an answer, she understood that there was only so much the agent was willing to answer.

They continued walking again, the soft noise of leaves crunching underneath their boots mixing in with rustling tree branches. After a little while longer, they came across the edge of a black fence. Tall black posts with pointed tops outlined a large plot of land, accompanied by a stereotypical looking mansion. The fence seemed like the expensive kind, giving Bora the feeling that they were at their location. She looked around at the area, narrowing her eyes as she tried to spot any security cameras. Since it was night, it was hard to see very much, though she could make out a small glint in a couple of areas.

"Four?" Bora asked the girl next to her.

"That's how many I counted as well," the agent replied, already knowing what she was talking about. "I'm sure there are more, though."

Bora hummed in agreement, the two of them walking down along the fence. "Since you've been inside, do they have many security cameras in there?"

"Not that I remember. I think the only places that had cameras was the basement, main room and office."

"Where does the trade happen?" Bora kneeled down, checking to see if there was any hidden tripwire around the fence. Not finding any, she stood back up.

"The basement," the girl answered, watching Bora. "Although it happens in a side room that doesn't have any cameras. I'd guess for confidentiality."

Nodding her head, Bora continued. "Yeah, that makes sense."

They split up a little bit, not moving too far away from each other in case something were to happen, but definitely creating enough distance to where Bora sometimes wondered where the girl went. Pulling out her phone, Bora took a few pictures of the mansion and fence, wondering if she'd be able to see anything else if she upped the brightness on it or played with the curves later. Although that would require her to go back to her hotel room to use her laptop, and the thought made Bora frown. She admittedly started to like being around the masked agent, though she attributed that to her own extroverted personality of course. Bora always liked being around people, so it's not like now would be any different. She enjoyed their banter a little too much, and definitely caught herself feeling comfortable around the girl lately, though there was definitely a gray area. It was like there was a field between them, one that neither dared to take the first step in. Almost like a metaphorical no man's land. If you walk in, you'll probably never find your way out.

Maybe that's how any human interaction was, and Bora was just overthinking it. Maybe people subconsciously took that step all the time, exploring the field and bringing color to it. After all, that's how almost any friendship or relationship is born. Someone has to make the jump first, and usually, it's not that big of a deal. But their situation was different, and it always would be.

Bora finished up taking a few more pictures around the rest of the perimeter, ensuring they had enough information to formulate a well thought out plan. Usually, Bora would just dive in head first, but it had been a while since she'd done something like this. An undercover mission of some sort, playing a character you're not. She'd obviously done it before, mainly in missions with the main objective of assassination, but like she said, it had been a while. Plus, she was usually by herself. Now she had a (temporary) partner, one that she owed for saving her life multiple times. 

Stepping over a fallen tree branch, Bora slightly shifted the mask on her face back to its main position. The only plus side to wearing it was the fact that it protected her skin from the freezing wind. Other than that, she wasn't really a fan of having her face hidden. Hearing something to her left, Bora reflectively moved her hand to her side, fingers over a dagger. It was a false alarm, seeing the familiar agent sarcastically put her hands up as a gesture of surrendering.

"Please spare my life," she said after seeing the way Bora had reached for her dagger.

A halfhearted chuckle left Bora's lips. "Sorry, automatic reaction."

"I'd be worried if it wasn't."

Bora nodded, letting her hand relax. "I took pictures around the entire perimeter, we can inspect them better later and see if there's anything we missed."

"Sounds good," the agent tightened the glove around her right hand. "We can start making the plan tomorrow after we sleep tonight."

Humming in thought, Bora followed as the girl began to walk back towards the car. "In that case, wouldn't it be easier if I just stayed with you tonight?"

The girl glanced back at her with a humorless chuckle. "The garden is really pretty, it'd be a shame if we couldn't go."

"It would be," Bora quickly stood straight. "It's a good thing I was only joking earlier."

"Mm," the agent hummed, and Bora swore she could hear a smirk in her voice. "A good thing indeed."

They began making their way back to the car, Bora taking note of the surroundings. There was a pretty decent gap between the two houses she had seen, giving a decent area of coverage. It also meant they could be sandwiched in the event of having to escape through here, so it had it's pros and cons. Bora felt her body start to shiver slightly from the increased wind, the tree coverage beginning to thin out the closer they got to the road. She watched as her visible breath formed small, transparent clouds in front of her, teeth clenching to prevent them from chattering. Wrapping her arms around herself, Bora continuously rubbed her arms, relishing in any bit of extra heat she could get. The girl tilted her head slightly to look at Bora, hearing her frantic movements.

"Tell me I should have brought a jacket one more time," Bora mumbled, accusing the girl before letting her speak, if she was even going to. The cold wasn't Bora's friend.

"You should have," the agent spoke anyway with a shrug, obviously not caring about Bora's threat. Before Bora could roll her eyes, she spoke again. "But I wasn't going to say that."

Bora looked up at her questioningly, skepticism in her eyes before widening. She watched as the girl shrugged off her leather jacket, leaving her in only a black long sleeve shirt. It was held in front of her as if an offering from God herself, shining in a bright light that made even Bora a believer.

"You're making me look stupid," the girl looked away as she continued to hold the jacket out.

Realizing she had only been staring at it, Bora blinked a couple times before reaching out. "Sorry," she smiled at the agent's timid aura. It wasn't often she saw her like this, the only other time being when she had thanked Bora for the food.

Taking the jacket in her hands, Bora quickly threw it on, the sleeves completely covering her hands as they were a little too long. It was warm, extremely warm. It also smelled good, whatever perfume the agent used tickling Bora's nose in a good way. 

"Warm?" The girl asked, and Bora nodded with a closed mouth smile. 

"It is," she sighed in content before realizing something. "But aren't you cold?"

The girl shook her head, starting their walk again. "I'm fine."

Bora didn't quite believe her, but she knew that the agent wouldn't admit to being cold anyway, so there was no point in arguing. They walked for a little while longer, the car finally in sight. Bora could almost jump out of relief, wanting to get away from the cold air. She slowly walked up to the passenger seat, resting her hand on the handle before pausing. Her eyes locked onto the agent who was walking around to the driver's seat, playing with the car keys between her fingers, unaware of the way Bora was watching her. Swallowing an unusual feeling of nervousness, Bora's lips parted.

"Thank you," she suddenly spoke, stopping the girl in her tracks, the keys dangling from an outstretched finger. Though she couldn't see her eyes, the girl almost reminded Bora of a deer in headlights. 

"For the jacket," the redhead clarified upon the agent's silence. If a simple thank you was enough to make her short circuit, Bora wondered just how deprived of a normal human connection she was. 

"Okay," the girl cleared her throat. "It's okay."

Bora's head tilted at the response, feeling how uneasy she felt. She almost laughed, but quickly realized that would make the agent feel more uncomfortable. "You can say you're welcome," Bora smiled softly. "But if you're not ready for that yet that's okay."

The girl looked down at the car, opening her door. "Just get in the car."

A quiet chuckle left Bora's lips as she mirrored her actions, sliding in the comfortable leather seat. Putting her seatbelt on, Bora physically shrunk, trying to hide in the warmth of her scarf and the girl's jacket. The engine roared as the car turned on, the heater instantly blasting warm air. Bora finally took off her mask, glad to have her full range of vision back. She ran a hand through her hair, shaking it lightly to brush it out. The night had gone surprisingly well. They didn't really do much together, but seeing as it was their first sort of partnered activity, they work well and didn't get in each other's way. Bora almost wanted to take her back to the Government agency with her, as she wouldn't mind having the girl's skill on her side. But she remembered how the agent had specifically told her they'd part ways after all of this. Bora wasn't really expecting much different, and at the time, it didn't bother her too much. She knew it was reality, and she knew they were still enemies.

Now, she was starting to feel differently about those words. As much as she tried not to, they lingered in the back of her mind like a ticking clock, counting down the seconds. She wasn't worried. She knew when the time comes, she'll be able to leave without looking behind. She's done it throughout her entire life, and she can do it again. All the friends she's lost desensitized herself for things like this. Someday she'll lose Yubin, Minji, Yoohyeon and Gahyeon too. It's how their lives are, and there wasn't time to fight it or wish it was different. They chose it, after all.

Feeling the car drive forward, Bora let her head fall back against the headrest, a deep exhale leaving her lips. "Did I do something wrong?" She heard the girl question, Bora tilting her head to look at her.

"No," she smiled lazily. "I was just thinking."

"About?"

Bora raised her eyebrows, watching as the girl stayed focused on the road. "Don't tell me you're actually interested," she joked with a quiet chuckle.

"I'm not," the agent answered indifferently. "But whatever you're thinking about seems to be bothering you."

She should have known. Bora should have known the girl would already know that. She somehow always knew how Bora was feeling or what she was thinking. To a certain extent. Shifting her eyes to the right, Bora gazed out the window, watching the trees as they blurred by. "What are you planning on doing after this?"

"What do you mean?"

"This whole thing. After we get the flash drive."

A silence fell over them, Bora beginning to wonder if she was even going to reply. It wouldn't be surprising if she didn't. "There isn't an after."

"What?" Bora furrowed her eyebrows. "That's a joke, right?"

"No," the girl answered in a set tone, irritating Bora. 

"Stop being vague," she shifted in annoyance. "Now isn't the time."

The agent sighed, quiet for a moment as if in thought. "I'll do what I need with the flash drive, and that's it. Once it's out, I'll be hunted until I'm dead."

Bora felt her body freeze, thoughts flooding her mind like a hurricane."Wait," she felt her voice becoming unstable. "Why are you now just telling me this? What does any of that mean? You're not doing all of this just to end up dying, so tell me the truth."

"That is the truth," the girl's voice was calm, like none of this mattered at all to her. "I told you a long time ago that I have a goal. Once that's met, I don't care what happens to me. Believe me or not, it doesn't change anything."

It made sense. The flash drive seemed to be a pretty big deal within the underground organizations, and for good reason. It held tide changing information, but Bora wasn't even sure if any of them would even be able to perfect it even if they had all the information. Still, that meant if the flash drive disappeared with the agent, multiple organizations would be hunting her.

"I can help you," Bora reasoned, subconsciously ignoring multiple different variables that would testify against her offer. "I can bring you back to-"

Her eyes widened as she suddenly put the pieces together. "Evidence," she whispered to herself. "You're going to expose the people in the Government agency who were trying to sell it, aren't you?"

The girl didn't answer, giving Bora the indication that it was a yes. "But why?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why do you care about it that much to risk your life over it?"

"I told you, I lost something and I want it back."

"Then let me help you," Bora's voice was firm, not wanting to take no for an answer. It's what she got, anyway.

"No."

A sigh left her lips. "Why not?"

"Our agreement was for you to help me escape the auction with the flash drive. After that, our alliance is over. You agreed to that, don't forget."

"Fuck the agreement," Bora laughed bitterly. She didn't get a response after that, nor did she expect one.

She stared out the window for the rest of the car ride, trying to gather her thoughts. In the end, there was no reason for her to get that upset about it. It wasn't her life being put on the line, but that's where she was skeptical. Was the agent really telling her the truth? Not many people would be willing to risk their life to go against something way bigger than them, and being a Cobra agent didn't give her much more credibility. It was obvious the girl had a bigger goal in mind with all of this, but if it really was to expose the Government, Bora wasn't sure. It was impossible to tell. Sure, Bora could bring her personal belief into the mix and say that she didn't think the Cobra agent had ill intentions in mind, but work and personal things weren't to be mixed. In Bora's line of work, you always had to have two balanced perspectives and understand that your personal feelings weren't to be prioritized, because at the end of the day, they're biased. This could be one long scheme, and if Bora decided to trust her personal feelings, then she'd instantly lose.

In fact, she didn't even know what she felt. Being taught from a young age to not trust those emotions never really made things easy in that department. The best thing she could come up with was that she was just bored and lonely lately, and only being around the agent gave her something to do. There was no way she had started to care about the other agent more than just a temporary partner. Even if she wasn't lying and did intend on exposing Wooseok, then that would be in Bora's favor, right? But what would happen after that? Would it end, or would the agent be sacrificing her life for nothing? How would she go back to working like nothing had happened? Bora had a definitive answer now, one that she had been wondering for years. There was corruption even in her agency, but if it's not only Wooseok, then she'd be back to square one. Without a partner. Bora glanced at the masked agent next to her, feeling something in her chest tighten. She clenched her jaw, looking down at the bracelet around her wrist, the jacket that was encasing her small frame and keeping her warm. 

"Compromise with me," she kept her voice steady despite it's uncertainty. Uncertainty was foreign to Bora, and she found she didn't like the feeling at all.

The girl looked at her for a second before focusing on the road again. "No, I'm no-"

"I know you care." It was a shot in the dark honestly, but Bora decided she'd let her personal observations lead for just this once. If it ends up being her downfall, then oh well. At least she did what she thought was right. "So compromise with me," she continued, clenching her fists underneath the oversized jacket. "Please."

She waited, the thick silence looming in the car. But she'd wait. She knew it meant the girl was thinking, so Bora wouldn't say another word until she did.

"I'll listen."

Swallowing her hesitation, Bora parted her lips, trying to find the usual confidence she held. "I'll keep up my end of the deal and help you get the flash drive, but if you truly are wanting to expose people, then leave that to me. Let me take the flash drive and do it myself. I have connections within the Government agency, and things might end better that way."

"Why?"

"Don't ask why," Bora looked out the window. "I don't even know myself."

There was another silence, but not as long as the last one. "Okay."

Bora's head snapped to her left, looking at the agent in disbelief. "You agreed? That easily?"

"Do you want me to say no?" The girl countered.

"No," Bora leaned back in her seat. "I just wasn't expecting you to give in that easily."

The agent shrugged, her grip on the steering wheel shifting slightly. "Like I said, I only care about my goal. However it happens, I don't care."

It was suspicious, Bora wouldn't ignore that. She felt it deep in her stomach, almost an uneasy feeling. Getting her to agree felt way too easy. But Bora was already confused about her own actions that she didn't think too hard on it, and maybe she should have.

A part of her knew she should have never let it go so quickly.

Before she knew it, the car was parked back in the parking garage that they had originally came from. Bora groaned as she unbuckled her seatbelt, not wanting to face the cold again. Although at least this time she had a jacket. Opening the door, Bora tiredly stood up with a yawn, closing it tightly. It was probably two in the morning, and she admittedly hadn't got much sleep the night before, having too much to think about and also having to respond to work emails. It was hard keeping up her Government image at the same time, needing to respond to Wooseok and her superiors when they gave her a new lead. It was tiring.

"I would have dropped you off at your apartment, but I don't want to risk someone seeing."

Bora turned to the voice behind her, the agent adjusting her holster. "It's fine," Bora yawned. "Never know who's watching."

Once side by side, the girl began walking, Bora appreciating how she waited for her. As they walked through the parking garage, something felt off. Bora couldn't shake the feeling, like they were being watched. Her head swiveled around for a moment, though nothing looked wrong. Maybe she was imagining it, but she had learned to trust her senses in moments like this. Her footsteps slowly came to a stop, her hand reaching forward and grabbing the agent's wrist. She felt the girl jump at the contact, but that was the last thing on Bora's mind. 

"What are you doing?" The agent questioned, slight panic in her voice.

Bora didn't answer, her mind focused on their surroundings. She could feel it, and she was confident she wasn't wrong. Her lips parted to ask if the girl felt it too, but before she could speak, Bora caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Her hand that was holding the girl's wrist jerked forward, almost knocking her off of her feet as Bora felt a taller frame crash into her body. The noise of a silenced pistol quietly sliced through the air, right where the agent was standing a moment ago, the impact of a bullet crashing into a concrete wall interrupting the silence.

"Shit," Bora cursed, taking cover with the agent behind her sports car.

"What the hell?" The girl breathed as they kneeled down on the pavement.

Bora pulled out her pistol, ensuring it was loaded. "I guess you don't know who our intruders are?"

"No," the girl shook her head, unclipping her holster and pulling her pistol out as well. "How many do you think there are?"

Listening for a moment, Bora bit her bottom lip. "Based off footsteps, maybe three. Wouldn't be surprised if there were more."

"Well," the agent cocked her gun. "Let's get this over with, being with you all day is tiring."

Shooting her a quick glare, Bora counted to three before standing up, firing at the first person she saw. Her eyes widened as she noticed black masks on all of them, identical to the one the girl next to her wore. After taking a few more shots, Bora quickly took cover behind the car again at the same time the agent did.

"What the hell is this?" She snapped, jumping to conclusions.

"I already told you, I don't know."

A bullet pierced through the windows of the front of the car, skimming over the agent's head. "Seriously?" Bora heard the girl groan. "Look's like I'm gonna have to steal a new one."

Bora raised her eyebrows, an unamused look on her face. "Absolutely not."

The girl looked over at her, titling her head. "Aren't you the one who said a little stealing never hurt anyone?"

"Are you insane?" Bora whisper yelled, flinching as a bullet flew by. "Stealing a car worth hundreds of thousands of dollars is not just 'a little stealing'."

"Says who?" The agent argued back, the two of them practically forgetting they were in a shoot out. 

"Literally me, and I was talking about stealing a flower, not a whole damn car."

"Same thing."

Bora's lips parted to respond but was cut off by another sound of a bullet impact. Her shoulders tensed, irritation building. "Can you stop fucking interrupting?" She yelled as she stood up, firing a few bullets back. They were getting closer, and she knew it was time to move.

Putting her attention back on the girl, Bora gestured her to get ready. "We'll continue our talk later."

"Whatever."

The two of them stood up, the girl putting down suppressive fire as they sprinted to the nearest concrete column, Bora hiding behind it while the agent got behind a white truck. Bora made herself as small as possible so her shoulders wouldn't stick out, bullets clipping the side of the column. She wondered what Cobra was doing here, but if the girl had no idea, then she wouldn't either. Letting out an annoyed breath, Bora reloaded her pistol, hearing footsteps coming closer and closer. She glanced to her right, nodding to the masked agent across from her. The girl nodded back, signalling Bora to take the right side. Doing as she was told, Bora rolled her back off of the cold concrete column, quickly peeking out from behind it. She furrowed her eyebrows, seeing only one person to the far right, but they were focused on something else. Taking the clear shot, Bora squeezed the trigger with her index finger, a silent shot quietly leaving the barrel of her gun. His body collapsed as the bullet dug itself into his chest, ripping through clean muscle and broken veins.

Carefully observing her surroundings, Bora suddenly heard a panicked voice towards her left. "Get off of me," a deeper voice echoed throughout the parking garage. Her head instantly snapped to it, stepping out from behind the pillar.

Bora's eyes grew wide, figuring out where the rest of the agents were. She saw her partner behind a much larger man, knife sliding across his throat as she held him up as a meat shield. There were three people in front of her, all with their guns raised, trying to take a shot. Bora bit down on her bottom lip harshly, the metallic taste of blood teasing her tongue. Before Bora could decide on what to do, they suddenly all fired at once as the girl began to walk forward, hiding behind the lifeless body. Bullets tore in his flesh, and right after they finished, Bora watched as the girl sprinted out from the cover with two daggers between her fingers. One was swiftly thrown forward, knocking the pistol out of an enemies hand. She ran until they were in hand to hand combat, Bora watching from a distance. 

"Are you stupid?" Bora whispered to herself as she grit her teeth. There was no way she could provide support anymore from this distance as taking a shot would be too risky.

Putting her pistol back away in it's holster, Bora sighed dramatically as she pulled out a sharp dagger, gripping the hilt tightly. She decided to watch a little longer, almost mesmerized by the way the girl moved. How she would dodge with such ease, even while having three people attacking her at once. As Bora watched, it almost felt like the girl was just having fun, as if teasing her opponent. A soft smile tugged at Bora's lips, like she was proud or something. She didn't want to interrupt the girl's fun, but she figured she should probably stop watching and help. Rolling her shoulders, Bora quietly made her way behind the fight and watched for the perfect moment to jump in.

Like rats, a fourth masked agent appeared from the shadows. Bora had no doubt that her partner would feel his presence, but since Bora wasn't doing anything, she might as well intervene. As the new opponent began to lunge forward, Bora jumped into action, eyes tracking the blade that was heading straight towards her the back of her partner's neck. She reached her hand out at the last second, fingers wrapping around a clothed wrist and stopping it in it's place. Her shoulder brushed against the girl's as the force pushed her back a step, the agent instantly turning to look at her. Bora sent her a wink before throwing the enemies hand away, knocking the knife out of his grip.

"You dumb bitch," she heard him growl, causing Bora to furrow her eyebrows.

"Aren't you guys not supposed to talk or something?" Her head tilted quizzically as she blocked a forceful punch.

He didn't answer, continuing to try and win against Bora with raw strength. It wouldn't work. Watching his fist firing in her direction, Bora held up her hand, stopping it with a shaky grip. She clenched her jaw, twisting his wrist until it almost broke. The man tried to retreat but she followed, pulling him forward by his shirt and sending a knee to his groin. He collapsed on his knees with a pained scream, Bora smiling before her boot connected with his cheekbone, cracking the black mask in half.

"Huh?" Bora paused as it slipped off of his face. She stood there, bringing a finger to her chin and thinking for a moment. She'd definitely hit her partner harder than that before all of this, and her mask didn't break that easily. 

She turned around, catching the end of the fight behind her as the girl ran a dagger through the last standing agent's neck. "Hey," Bora called out once she saw the girl was done, getting her attention. As the girl turned around, Bora pointed to the man on the ground. "Does your mask break this easily?"

The girl walked closer, kneeling to inspect the broken frame of a face. "No, this is fake."

"Fake?" Bora furrowed her eyebrows before shifting her gaze to the unmasked man. She didn't recognize him, not that she was expecting to. "Who are you?"

His mouth moved, but no words came out. Bora watched curiously as his jaw moved from side to side for a moment, and when she realized what he was doing, it was too late. As his body started to uncontrollably jerk, she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Great," she muttered as foam began to pour from his mouth. It wasn't that uncommon to see, agents having a fatal pill in their mouths in case they're captured. Bora just didn't expect it. "You kill all the others?" She asked the agent next to her before turning around to check herself.

"You didn't tell me not to."

Stretching her arm, Bora quietly yawned. "True."

As she began to take a step, a deep voice suddenly ran through the parking garage. "That was quite the show," she heard as a pair of footsteps accompanied it.

Bora frowned, turning around to see a man black clothing, but no mask. "Oh!" Bora smiled. "Cosplay man? Is the party over?"

"What?" He stopped, his confident face suddenly dropping in confusion. "There was no party to begin with."

Bora nodded slowly. "Ah, so you lied?"

"I didn't lie, I just said it to identify you."

"But you still lied," Bora argued back.

He grit his teeth in annoyance. "No I didn't."

"You kind of did."

"No."

"Liar."

"Don't call me a liar!" He yelled, quickly pulling out a pistol and aiming it directly at Bora. She didn't even flinch, the girl next to her pulling her pistol out just as quickly in return.

A small smile pulled at Bora's lips as she looked at her from the corner of her eye. "Anyway," Bora sighed. "What do you want? Were those little fake Cobra agents yours?"

"Maybe."

Her eyes narrowed, not in the mood to beat around the bush. "Then what are you here for?"

She watched as his hand on the pistol tightened, the barrel aiming right between her eyes. "You."

"Me?" Bora asked curiously. "Why?"

A sinister grin grew on his lips, Bora grimacing in response. "I have a few questions for you, I'm sure you wouldn't mind coming back home with me."

"With a face like yours?" Bora heard the girl next to her speak, her eyebrows raising at the direct insult. 

She lightly smacked the back of her head, the girl instantly putting a hand where the contact had been. "Ow," she looked at Bora, her voice confused. "Can you stop doing that?"

"Don't be rude to people like that," Bora scolded lightly, crossing her arms.

"What?" The agent's hands dropped. "He's an asshole."

"That doesn't mean you can call him ugly."

They stared at each other for a minute, Bora imagining she was looking into her eyes, even if she couldn't see them. It was like they were daring one another to speak, a silent sword fight. They were quickly interrupted as the man cleared his throat, Bora honestly forgetting he was there.

"I'm still here," annoyance clear in his tone.

"Right," Bora turned to face him again. "So what do you want with me?"

The man flinched with irritation. "I already told you, I have questions."

"But you want me to come to your place, right? So is there a room you're gonna throw me in or something?"

Another smirk grew on his lips as he shifted the pistol in his hand. "You could say that."

Bora nodded, humming in thought for a moment. "Does it have chains?"

The smirk instantly fell off his face, bewilderment and confusion taking over his features again. "Chains? What kind of question is that?"

Clasping her hands together, Bora cleared her throat. "So hypothetically, if that room has chains in it, what would you call it?"

"Call it? A name?"

"No," Bora shook her head. "Like would you call it torture room, interrogation room. You know, things like that."

"How am I supposed to know?" He frowned. "I've never thought about it."

"Then think?" Bora spoke like it was obvious. She wanted an answer, and she was going to get it. "So my question is, would it be fair to call it a sex dungeon if it has chains? I mean it is a kink, right?"

Nobody spoke for a long time, the man only staring as if he had walked into the wrong room. Bora waited patiently, wanting to be told she was right. She heard the girl next to her let out a long sigh, lowering her pistol.

"Hey buddy, you can have her if you want. Free of charge."

Bora's jaw dropped, head snapping to her right. "Seriously? That easy?"

"It's not a sex dungeon," the girl muttered.

"But it could be."

"But it's not."

As they were busy arguing, a bullet suddenly shot between them. "Can you two shut up? For once?"

Bora frowned. "I guess, but I'm not going with you, sorry."

The man aimed his pistol towards the masked girl, finger teasing the trigger. "Too bad, I'll get in trouble if I don't bring you home."

Realizing he was actually going to shoot, Bora quickly stepped in front of the girl, utilizing her small frame the best she could to protect her. "If you want me alive then you can't shoot, can you?"

He narrowed his eyes as if aiming down the sights. "Want to find out?"

Bora felt a hand brush against her lower back, trying not to move as bare fingers lightly tugged against her pants. She had to bite her lower lip, wanting desperately to tease the girl behind her about it, but held herself back. Although there was still non-verbal teasing, something Bora didn't mind either. She very slightly moved back, pushing her back against the taller girl's body. She smiled as she heard a quiet inhale upon contact, the hand behind her back faltering for a moment. Feeling the fingers fall off, Bora turned her attention back to the man, smiling mischievously.

"I'd love to."

As soon as the words left her lips, a hand grabbed her shoulder, pushing her to the side. Loud gunshots instantly cracked through the still air, threatening to break her ear drums. Silence fell over seconds later, the noise of a body falling against concrete quietly echoing throughout the parking garage. Bora looked to her right, seeing the masked girl still standing, declaring her the victor of the standoff. The girl slowly met Bora's gaze, neither of them speaking as their chests softly rose up and down, soft breaths barely audible. She watched as the agent lowered the hand that was gripping the pistol, letting it fall to her side. Bora barely felt the warm smile pulling at her lips as her eyes were fixated on the taller girl.

"You did well," she spoke with a soft voice.

The agent only looked away, taking a few steps closer and holding out the pistol. Bora looked down at it before smirking. "You sure you don't want to put it back?"

"I'm sure," she heard the girl mutter. Bora chuckled before taking it out of her hand, reaching behind her back and placing it in the holster the agent had originally took it from. "Who even carries two pistols anyway?"

Bora shrugged. "It came in handy, didn't it?"

"I guess."

A satisfied sigh left Bora's lips as they began to walk out of the parking garage, the bullets of the unsilenced pistol being like a beacon for attention. "Should we just leave the bodies?" The agent asked.

"Yeah," Bora nodded. "Whoever orchestrated that whole thing will clean it up."

"If you say so."

They walked in silence for the rest of the way back to the agent's place, taking the most hidden routes. It was almost like a secret scenic route, Bora seeing interesting retro-like bars with neon signs. She wouldn't mind checking some of them out, although it seemed she was busy enough as it was. She wondered if the agent ever went places like that without her mask. Maybe Bora had seen her before, not knowing it was even her. It was a possibility, though the girl didn't seem like the type to enjoy crowded areas, much less drunk and incoherent people. A part of Bora wanted to show her a good time at least once, let the girl see that there was more to life than the bullshit they dealt with. Sometimes it made Bora just want to be a normal person, never getting herself involved with being an agent in the first place. But she was young back then, and she didn't know what she was getting herself into. It was unfair, and it was manipulation. A kid of that age doesn't know any better, and they made promises that sounded so good. A home, food and a family. It was all true, but was never as good as it sounded. She remembers the food being terrible, and the family thing wasn't necessarily true. She was lucky to have met Minji within her first month, but most of the other kids were never as lucky. Kids like Siyeon.

She remembered how cold Siyeon seemed at first, but even after their first meeting, Bora knew Siyeon was different from the rest of the kids. She remembered how the girl was interested in family, always wanting to hear stories about Bora, Minji and Yoohyeon. How Bora promised her they'd all meet one day, telling her Minji and Yooh would love her. Siyeon's eyes would always reflect the stars upon hearing that, hope so clearly radiating from them. It was unfair that Bora never got to give her that or show her what it felt like to have a family. It was unfair how Bora promised her all of that and never delivered anything. She always wondered if Siyeon felt resentment towards her after being taken to the Spectre unit. The only thing Bora did was get her hopes up only for them to be torn to shreds. She wondered if Siyeon grew up to hate the very memory of her.

"I did."

Bora's eyes widened, lifting her head up. "What?"

"What?" The girl asked back. "You asked if I remembered my car keys, I was just answering you."

"Oh," Bora felt her heart rate calm down, remembering they were in mid conversation. "Right."

They slowed down as they made it to the agent's home, Bora feeling the girl next to her looking at her. But when she met her gaze, the girl quickly looked away. "We'll investigate who attacked us tomorrow," she heard her mumble. "Hopefully it's nothing serious."

Bora nodded, standing back as she unlocked the door. Her eyes caught a red color slowly spreading out over an outstretched palm as the girl reached for the door handle. "Are you bleeding?" Bora quickly took a step forward, trying to investigate it herself. The hand was quickly withdrawn out of her sight.

"No."

"You are," her eyebrows slanted in worry as she saw a drop of blood fall against concrete. The girl tried to back away, but Bora grabbed her non injured hand, keeping her in place. "Let me see."

"It's not bad," the agent shook her head. "It's just a small cut, it's fine."

Sighing frustratedly, Bora pushed the unlocked door open, pulling the girl in with her and closing it. "Sit on the couch," she ordered, the agent doing as she was told. "Do you have any bandages anywhere?"

"Underneath the tv."

Bora walked over, the modern cabinet only having one drawer. She opened it, finding an abundance of bandages, gauze, anything you could need for moments like these. Grabbing a few supplies, Bora made her way back to the couch, sitting down next to the taller girl. She gently reached out, taking the injured hand in her own and pushing up the black sleeve to inspect it more thoroughly. There was a gash running from her palm down to her wrist, narrowly missing pronounced veins. She placed a piece of gauze over the wound, cleaning the blood around it.

"Why didn't you say something?" Bora asked quietly, her focus completely on the task at hand.

"Because it's just a small cut, I can take care of it on my own."

Pausing, Bora looked up disapprovingly. "Or you could have asked for help."

The girl only shrugged as Bora got back to work. She carefully cleaned the cut, ensuring she didn't directly rub over it to not cause any unnecessary pain. It wasn't that deep, but it definitely wasn't shallow. They sat like that for a while as Bora cleaned it, their knees occasionally brushing against each other. In different circumstances Bora would take more notice to the contact, but now was different for obvious reasons. Once she was done cleaning it, she began wrapping a white bandage around the girl's wrist, moving up to her palm. Bora tightly tied it off to make sure it wouldn't just unravel, her fingers brushing up and down the bandage to ensure it was tight enough.

"Does it feel okay?" She asked, fingers procrastinating on the girl's arm.

A small nod was the only response Bora got, but that was good enough for her. Giving it one last look over, Bora slowly lowered the agent's hand, though not quite letting go. She lifted her head, not expecting to see the agent still looking at her. It only then occurred to her how the hand she was holding still hadn't retreated, staying unusually still in Bora's soft hold. Moving didn't even feel like an option at the moment, everything around Bora becoming drowned out. 

"Was I good today?" Bora asked, her voice barely over a whisper as her eyes pleaded for an answer. 

She felt the girl's hand tense slightly, Bora's fingers instantly keeping a hold of it. "What?" The agent's voice sounded almost breathless, barely even coming out.

"Do you think I did well?" Bora asked again, pressing forward. At first she had asked in concern for going to the garden tomorrow, but now she found she just wanted to hear the girl praise her for once. A compliment was something she was still yet to get from her. With each centimeter she leaned forward, the girl leaned back.

"I guess."

The answer wasn't good enough for Bora, not even close to filling the desire. "Tell me," she pleaded, just wanting to hear a few simple words. 

There was an extremely thick silence as Bora's free hand tightly gripped the side of the couch. She didn't move, staying locked in place until the agent either told her to move or get off. Bora quietly wondered how different this would be if there wasn't a mask diving them. A part of her thanking the fact that it was there, stopping her from doing something stupid. But still, she couldn't help but wonder if the girl would see her differently without the protection of anonymity. Bora was sure there were crucial facial expressions that she was constantly missing, giving her ideas of how the agent might feel. Her tongue subconsciously swiped over her bottom lip at the thought.

"Bora..." She heard the girl whisper her name, sending a jolt of electricity throughout Bora's body. Something about the way it rolled off of her tongue felt thrilling and slightly addicting. 

"You-"

The taller girl's voice was cut off as a phone began to ring, Bora silently cursing at whatever higher power there was. She reluctantly backed off, the agent reaching in her back pocket to fish out her phone.

"It's my boss," the girl's voice had already defaulted back to it's usual emotionless tone. Bora felt the anticipation from earlier shatter into a million pieces. Life was playing a cruel game with her.

"Right," she stood up, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. "It's late anyway, I'll get going."

She turned around before the girl could say anything, walking to the door and quickly opening it. She could almost feel the agent's eyes on her as she walked out, the courage to say something apparently never showing itself. Or maybe Bora had just imagined everything. As the door closed, a breath Bora didn't even know she was holding escaped her lips, creating smoke as if she had just puffed a cigarette. Forcing herself to walk forward, Bora lazily kicked a pebble, hearing it roll across the concrete. A cold feeling began to grow inside of her, this time not being from the temperature. Her hands balled into fists, clenching tightly as she stopped. Her head dropped like it lost all its support, eyes staring at the rough concrete. Bora had no idea where the suffocating feeling came from, overtaking her like vines wrapping around her lungs. Her lips parted, whispering to no one but herself.

"Good night."


	10. blooming

Bora paced around her hotel room in search of a specific black leather jacket. She had forgotten to give it back to the girl the night before, so she was trying to find it before meeting up today. Bora tried retracing her steps after coming home, but she was so tired she doesn't even remember taking it off. Sighing, she sat down on the beige couch, resting her chin on her hand. Maybe she had left the jacket back at the agent's place, and she just doesn't remember it. She did leave rather quickly. Speaking of last night, Bora didn't know what was up with herself. She didn't know why she felt so empty after leaving, and it still lingered after she woke up. Despite it being bright outside, the sun lighting up her hotel like a spotlight, Bora still felt like it was dark. She didn't really like being here, and she found herself missing the comforting feeling of the agent's home. 

It was different, the way Bora found her mind lingering on thoughts of the tall, dark haired girl. Having someone else occupy Bora's mind wasn't really what she was used to, finding it more satisfying when other people felt this way about her instead. But it was only because Bora was around the masked agent so often that she thought about her, or at least that's what she believed. Still, she couldn't argue the way they seemed to work perfectly together, the small fight that broke out in the parking garage proving that. It felt undeniably good, having a partner. Agents within the Control unit are generally forced to have a partner, but Bora was always solo, mainly thanks to her natural talent. That, plus she was stubborn. After Siyeon had been taken away, Bora refused to listen to anyone, everytime the adults would say she needed a partner, she would become more rebellious. If she couldn't have Siyeon, Bora decided she didn't want anyone to take her place. 

And maybe that's why she felt a little guilty, because despite forcing herself to forget about Siyeon for years, Bora's attitude towards having a partner always stayed the same, until now. It had felt so natural fighting with the Cobra agent, non-verbal queues being made between the two of them that were picked up on without any practice beforehand. How the agent knew to take the gun strapped behind Bora's waist without having to gesture to it. A part of it excited Bora, the way they worked so well but shouldn't. Almost like a perfect paradox.

The sudden noise of her phone ringing snapped Bora out of her thoughts, reaching over and picking it up. "Hello?"

"Hey Bora!" She heard Minji yell through the phone, her voice instantly bringing a smile to Bora's face. Before she could respond, she heard three other voices in the back yelling their greetings as well.

"Are you all together?" Bora asked, hearing all of her friends in one place.

"Only for a day," she heard Yoohyeon pout. "We wanted you to be here too, but I guess it couldn't happen."

A sad smile pulled at Bora's lips, however, she knew that it wouldn't be much longer until they could all have normal breaks again. "Hopefully we can all hang out soon," Bora reassured. "I think we all deserve to have some drinks at the bar."

"No more bars for you," Minji scolded, Bora's jaw dropping.

"What? Why?"

"Because we're getting you a girlfriend when we're all back," she heard Gahyeon yell from the back. There were a few whispers after that, making Bora confused.

"Why? Yubin doesn't even have a girlfriend either, why don't you annoy her too?"

There was a small silence before she heard a few giggles. "Wait," Bora's eyes widened. "Yubin, you and Gahyeon? That fast?"

"Fast? It's been months you old woman," she heard Yubin mumble.

"Yeah," Minji laughed. "You're the last one standing Bora. I think it's time you get a girlfriend and stop messing around."

Bora rolled her eyes, laying her back down against the couch. "Not interested, thanks. I'll just be a fifth wheel."

Third wheeling with Minji and Yoohyeon was bad enough, but now Yubin and Gahyeon too? Bora suddenly didn't mind waiting a little bit longer until having to go back home.

"Well anyway," Minji chuckled. "How have you been doing? Any good news?"

That was a question Bora had no idea how to answer. "I've been fine," she lied, or maybe it wasn't a lie. She didn't know. "Just trying to find this flash drive so we can stop being overworked."

"Ah seriously," Yoohyeon agreed. "It feels like we're looking for something that doesn't exist."

Yubin exhaled. "If Wooseok wants it back so badly he shouldn't have just left it on his desk."

Bora slightly tensed at the name, forgetting none of them knew. "Yeah-"

A sudden knock on Bora's door interrupted her, her head snapping towards the direction of the noise. "Who's that?" She heard Minji speak through the phone, obviously hearing the knock.

Yoohyeon gasped in the background. "Are you hiding someone from us, Bora?"

"You have a girlfriend?" Gahyeon yelled, a smile apparent in her voice.

A groan left Bora's lips. "Can you all shut up?"

The knock came again, this time more impatient as an annoyed voice accompanied it. "Open the door, stop making me wait."

Bora froze at the sound, realizing it was her partner. "Shit," she whispered to herself, hoping the girls on the other end of the phone hadn't heard the voice. Unfortunately, it seemed they did.

"Kim Bora!" She heard Minji yell. "You _are_ hiding someone from us, aren't you?"

"What's her name?" Yubin chimed in, not helping the situation.

Bora bit her lip, thinking about what to do. They already heard, so she couldn't just hang up, it'd be suspicious. She quickly stood up upon hearing another frustrated knock, making her way over to the door. Sliding the lock, Bora swung the door open, her hand instantly grabbing the unsuspecting girl's shirt and pulling her in. 

"What the hell?" The agent sounded extremely confused before slamming Bora against the closed door out of reflex.

A strained inhale passed Bora's lips at the rough contact, a smile wanting to paint it's way on them. "Hi baby," she lightly smirked with parted lips.

She could only imagine the confusion on the girl's face right now as her hand dug into Bora's shoulder, keeping her pressed against the door. 

"What-"

"Jesus Bora keep it PG," Bora heard Yoohyeon grimace through the phone, interrupting the agent. "You forgot to hang up."

Everyone all started to talk, excited of Bora's "friend". It wasn't until Bora heard Gahyeon speak up individually, that everyone started to quiet down. "Bora?" The younger girl sounded almost scared. "Who are you with?"

"I assume someone she met at a bar," Minji responded for Bora, but Gahyeon didn't sound any less distressed. 

"No," her voice was almost shaking. "I mean her voice, it sounds..."

Bora's mind suddenly blanked as she felt fingers wrap around her throat, the girl in front of her leaning in extremely close. "Hang up or I'll kill you," she whispered into Bora's ear, sending shivers throughout her body. Not from the threat, but from the feeling itself.

Nodding as she swallowed, Bora parted her lips, trying to calm her unstable breathing. "I'll call you guys later," she said before hanging up without waiting for an answer.

Dropping her hand that held her phone to her side, Bora felt the fingers that were wrapped around her throat loosen, though not removing themselves entirely.

"Explain," the agent's voice was calm yet demanding. "Or I'll make my own assumption."

Bora couldn't help the smile that played at her lips as her head tilted. "Which would be?"

"You're relaying information about me back to people," her grip around Bora's throat tightened again. "If that's the case, you'll be bleeding out on the floor in a few seconds."

"You really are like a wolf," Bora chuckled, still having enough room to breathe easily. "Intimidating and serious from a distance, cute and soft if you're allowed to get close."

That really seemed to be how the girl worked, from Bora's experience. If you get too close to her, she'll bite, but that distance limit can be gradually chipped away. And with each centimeter you gain, the more you're able to see. It was fascinating, like a never ending book or movie. Bora wondered what would happen once the credits rolled. 

Taking the silence lightly, Bora was about to tease the girl before feeling very slight trembles in the hand around her neck. The smile on her lips faded, her eyebrows furrowing with concern.

"Are you... Scared?" She asked, trying to disguise the worry in her tone.

The girl suddenly pulled her hand away, putting it down at her side. "No."

It sounded like a lie and it felt like a lie. Bora wondered what there was to be scared of, as it didn't seem like the agent was being chased or anything. Unless... It was because of her own assumption. She snapped at Bora so quickly after noticing she was on the phone, maybe the girl actually did think Bora was using the moment to try and record her voice or something. But even then, shouldn't she be more mad than scared? Or maybe rather than being scared, it was more of a fear. 

A fear of being betrayed. 

They stood there in silence for a few moments, Bora still trapped between the door and a taller body, the girl not moving back despite taking her hand off Bora's throat. It felt like a delicate subject, one that Bora knew she had to be cautious with approaching, if at all. Talking about someone's fear is a good way to scare them off, and that was the last thing she wanted right now.

"I wasn't telling anyone about you," Bora finally spoke up. "My friends called me earlier, and they heard you knock on the door. They kind of..." Bora scratched the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Won't stop talking about making me get a girlfriend, so when they heard you knock, and then heard your voice, they were curious. I didn't want them to become suspicious of you so I explicitly called you baby to make them think you were just someone I was seeing, you know, romantically."

Another blanket of silence fell over them, the girl obviously thinking and coming up with her own decision. Bora hoped she believed her, because that was the truth, but she wasn't really expecting it. She wondered how the girl's face looked right now, what expression might be painting her features. 

"You don't have a girlfriend?"

Bora's head jerked in surprise, the innocent sounding question being the exact opposite of what she was expecting. "Me?" She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Do you think I'd tease you so much if I had a girlfriend?"

"I don't know," the agent shrugged. 

Bora almost laughed before realizing something. "Wait, out of all of that, the only thing you question is me not having a girlfriend?" Her tone suddenly changed, her usual confidence flooding back into her body. "Do you think about me then?" The tone of her voice audibly lowered. "When you're alone?"

A smirk teased her lips, noticing the way the girl took a small step back. "I know I'm attractive, but no, I'm not dating anyone."

The girl turned her head away, looking anywhere but in front of her. "Oh."

Taking her bottom lip between her teeth, Bora stepped forward, testing her boundaries. To her surprise, she wasn't instantly shoved back against the wall. "Were you wanting me to be single?" Bora's voice was barely over a whisper. She knew she was pushing it, but she couldn't stop. Something about teasing the girl was way too addicting.

"I'm curious," the agent spoke quietly, as if observing Bora. "If you ever expect someone to act on your teasing."

Bora's head slightly tilted, her brown eyes beaming with curiosity and excitement. "If that mask wasn't in the way, do you think you'd find out?"

For Bora, there was an unbearable silence. She was unknowingly waiting on the girl's answer as if her life depended on it, the push and pull offering her a sense of euphoria. And it seemed like the girl knew that, dragging the silence on for longer than it needed to be.

"No," she finally answered, her voice back to it's usual indifferent tone. "Because that's what you want, isn't it?"

For once, Bora was the flustered one, frozen in her place as she felt the girl brush by her shoulder. A breath she didn't know she was holding escaped her lips, as if releasing all of her over stimulated emotions as well. She smiled, though it was more of a defeated one rather than a confident smile. Either way, the girl was wrong. Bora never teased her in hopes she'd make a move, it was just to enjoy her reactions. Although the lingering heat in the pit of her stomach said otherwise. Shaking it off, Bora followed her out of the room before stopping.

"Hold on," she said before running to the bedroom. Grabbing her silver bracelet off the nightstand, Bora clasped it around her wrist. As she was about to turn around, a black sleeve from underneath the blankets caught her eye. Pulling it out, a surprised gasp left Bora's lips, the item she had spent all morning looking for finally showing itself.

"Thank god," she whispered to herself before walking back to the main room.

She saw the girl still waiting for her in the doorway, a small smile working on Bora's face as she approached her, holding out the black leather jacket. "I forgot to give this back to you last night."

The agent nodded, taking it in her own hands. "Let's go," she mumbled as she walked out the door, Bora following and letting the door close behind her.

They got in the car, Bora instantly noticing that it was a new sports car. "Did you seriously steal a new one?" She sighed as she buckled her seatbelt.

"No," the girl answered. "I've had it as a back up."

"But you still stole it," Bora deadpanned.

"Maybe."

Lightly shaking her head, Bora rested it against the window. "By the way, I thought you said it'd be too dangerous for you to drive to my hotel in case someone saw."

"You were taking too long," the girl responded. "Something could have happened."

Bora's eyebrows raised, glancing at the girl from the corner of her eyes. "Were you worried about me?" She grinned, imagining the girl pacing in her room, worried about her taking too long.

"No, just impatient."

The answer made Bora pout, fixing her gaze back out the window. "Anyway, can we go to the garden today?"

"If you're good," the agent exhaled. "We can go after we make some form of a plan today for Friday."

Bora slumped in her seat, wondering why everything was so unfair. "I'd have more of a reason to be good if you'd compliment me or praise me every now and then," she whined, the want for those things still there. She remembered last night, and how airily the girl had said her name.

"If you can go the entire afternoon being serious then you might hear what you want to."

Those words were all it took to have Bora perk up, a smile on her face. "Deal."

Once they made it to the agent's place, Bora sat down on the couch with resilience, ready to get to work. The coffee table was neat, having papers stacked in uniform rather than just being sprawled out everywhere. The usual smell of the place mixed with coffee felt a little comforting, almost like being blanketed in the black leather jacket she had gotten to wear the night before. The girl had disappeared behind one of the doors a few minutes ago, which Bora assumed was her bedroom, but wasn't sure. She'd never been inside or seen it, so she could only guess.

Bora leaned forward, picking up a document and scanning it with her eyes. There were countless notes taken on it, and as she looked at some of the other papers, it was the same thing. It probably had to take hours doing all of that, making Bora realize that a lot of the work had already been done for her. She frowned, upset that the girl had done it all on her own and didn't ask for help. Putting the garden aside in her mind, Bora decided to actually act serious for once to help the agent, wanting to be useful in someway. 

The door behind her finally opened, the taller girl walking out and sitting down next to Bora. "Let's get started."

Bora nodded, putting her hands in her lap. "What do you want to go over first?"

The girl hummed for a moment. "Roles, probably. We know for a fact that I'll be the one who is used to hand the flash drive over during the trade, but how we'll incorporate you is the question."

"Do people ever go with partners or anything?" Bora asked, throwing out ideas.

"They do, but it would be rare for a Cobra agent to."

The redhead nodded slowly, thinking about the pros and cons. "Plus, the word could get back to your boss that you were with someone."

"True," the girl sighed.

They went through a few more ideas, finding too many negatives in a lot of them. Since Bora wasn't technically from any of the organizations that attend, it was hard to place her anywhere. It wasn't until probably an hour later that Bora finally had an idea pop into her mind, her hands clapping together as she sat up.

"What if," she started, gaining the girl's attention. "You and I are separated? This whole time we've been trying to put us together, but I think that's the wrong approach."

"Then what do you recommend?"

Bora thought about it once more before nodding. "Put me in the audience. If I have money, they won't care where I came from. When it's time to auction off the flash drive, I'll simply buy it."

"What?" The girl's voice made it sound like she was crazy. "Do you even know how much money it's worth? Not to mention that's way too dangerous."

"Oh come on," Bora rolled her eyes. "Danger and I are best friends. And about the money, I have an idea."

The agent promptly shook her head. "No, we're not doing that."

Frustration built in Bora, the best plan they had so far was being denied because of what? Her being in danger? "I thought you said you'd do whatever you need to get to your goal," she challenged, making the girl across from her flinch.

"I-" Her voice hesitated. "I will. But there has to be a safer way, we just haven't thought of it."

"I don't think it's that dangerous," Bora shrugged. "Like you said, Laurent has security in case fights break out, right? It's not like someone will randomly try and kill me. Even if they do, I bet I'm stronger."

There was a silence as the girl seemed to be thinking, Bora wondering what was up with her reaction anyway. This seemed like the best plan of action, and there was no reason for her to act concerned.

"You're right," the agent spoke indifferently. "But we'll have to make you some form of application."

"Application?" Bora tilted her head. "Will that take a while?"

The girl shook her head. "Not at all. Actually, it's embarrassingly easy. They have a number that you text with details along with a picture of yourself so they know who you are. Usually takes a couple hours to process and get a response."

"Then let's do it."

"Slow down, we still have to figure out how you'll win this auction. You'll use my money, so there's obviously a cap to that."

Bora put her head in her hand, sighing in thought. "How much are we looking at?"

"I'd say the flash drive will peak at around seven million. I'd be surprised if someone offered more than that amount."

Raising her eyebrows, Bora tilted her head curiously. "Do you have enough for that?"

"Just enough," the girl nodded. "You need to keep matching people's offers before dropping seven million."

"And if someone offers over that amount?"

"Then drop out," the agent said seriously. "We'll move to plan B."

Bora furrowed her eyebrows. "Which is?"

"I run away with the flash drive before it's sold."

No one spoke for a moment as Bora just stared blankly at the masked girl, wondering if she was completely serious. "That's a joke, right?"

Crossing her arms, the girl looked away. "No, I'm being serious.That's the only option."

"Seriously?" a laugh left Bora's lips. "That's a terrible plan. You won't even make it out of the city before getting tracked down."

"If you have a better plan, I'm all ears."

Bora's mouth shut, not having another idea. "Alright, we'll put that aside for now. We should at least get my application accepted before anything else."

Pulling out her phone, the agent looked down at the screen, opening her messages. Her fingers began tapping against the screen, relaying everything she was typing to Bora. "Kim Bora, age 26, 5'3, from Korea, interested in the flash drive being sold by Cobra, annoying." Lifting her head, the agent met Bora's unimpressed face. "Good?"

"Delete the last part before I grab the phone and do it myself."

"Fine fine," the girl tapped the delete button a few times. "It's gone. Can we take the picture now?"

Nodding, Bora brushed out her hair with her hand before sitting up straight, her head slighly cocked with a small smile on her face. She waited patiently as the girl lifted the phone, focusing the picture. Hearing the noise of the picture being taken, Bora relaxed. She leaned over closer to the agent, shoulders brushing as she observed the picture. It was good, but it lacked something. Something that could get her on the better side of things.

"Can we retake it?" She asked, looking up at the masked girl, who instinctively leaned back.

"Why? It's fine how it is."

"Says you," Bora frowned before smirking. "I have a better idea for the picture."

Moving back, Bora brought her hands up to her shirt, undoing a button on her blouse. She pulled her shirt down a little, fixing her chest so that more was visible. "Alright," she nodded approvingly, lifting her gaze back up. "This will be better."

"No," a head shake of disapproval came from the agent as she lowered the phone.

"Take the picture or I'll undo the rest of the buttons."

The girl quickly lifted the phone back up, focusing on Bora's petite yet full frame again. A smile pulled at the redhead's lips before shaking it off, this time wearing a more seductive look for the picture. She slightly leaned forward, pushing her chest together with the help of her shoulders and parting her lips. She waited for the shutter noise to disrupt the silence, but as the seconds ticked by, Bora was beginning to feel like she was a reference model of some sort being drawn.

"Are you gonna stare all day or take the picture?" She teased quietly, seeing the girl's body tense a little bit as if being caught.

"Was waiting for it to focus."

Bora's head dropped as a small laugh escaped her lips, somehow finding the response endearing. It was so obviously a lie, and although she liked it better when people are truthful, the failed coverup sounded extremely cute. Bora didn't even realize how genuine her laughter was, how she was laughing purely from the taller girl's antics. It felt like it had been a long time since she laughed so innocently, almost wishing she could forget everything and just live in this temporary world. She felt happy. She knew she probably shouldn't, seeing as it was a weakness at a time like this, but the warmth in her body started to grow before she could stop it.

"Can I be honest?" The voice of the masked agent cut through her thoughts, her tone sounding different than usual. 

Bora lifted her head, softly nodding. "I like honesty."

It took a few seconds for the girl to continue, but Bora could have been given years to wait for a response and still wouldn't have been expecting to hear what she did.

"I think you look the prettiest when you're smiling like that."

There were no words to accurately describe anything that Bora felt in that moment. Her emotional defense instantly wanted to laugh it off as a joke or tease the girl, but surprisingly, that part of her stayed silent for once. Usually people were more interested in her seductive side, and she didn't really mind because it was definitely a part of her. But the way in which the words fell off the girl's tongue was so honest. Bora was rarely left speechless, the small girl always having something to say. However, with her jaw slightly agape and the unusual pounding of her heart, Bora found herself without words. 

"I can see you're taking it way too literally," the agent sighed. "All I'm saying is you look better with a genuine smile."

Bora knew she was touch starved, because the only thing she wanted to do right now was shove the papers off the couch and wrap her arms around the girl in front of her. It was weird, how one moment Bora was fine with going back to enemies after all of this is done, and the next moment having the desire to get as close as she could. Maybe there was a psychological reasoning behind it, she didn't know.

A strand of hair fell over Bora's cheek as she tilted her head to the right, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Careful little wolfie, you might accidentally make me fall for you."

She watched with an intrigued gaze as the agent turned her head, breaking the imaginary eye contact. "Can we hurry up and take the picture?"

"Need I remind you that you're the one who stopped first," Bora chuckled, sitting up straight again. She relaxed her features, staring into the camera like before. "Ready whenever."

The girl nodded, lifting the phone and centering Bora in the frame. This time the noise of the camera shutter was quick, not wasting any time. Bora dropped her shoulders, leaning over to look at it. "It's perfect," she grinned proudly.

"Alright, I sent it," the girl tossed the phone to the side. "Now back to the plan. Assuming you're accepted, we'll take seperate cars to the event. We can't interact unless privately, and that's important. You don't have an organization you belong to, so if people see us together and then you win the auction, it might cause suspicion. The only time we can talk is when it's time to pay."

"A whole evening without you?" Bora pouted jokingly. "I've been getting used to being around you."

"You'll probably see me throughout the night, we just can't talk."

Bora hummed, leaning her cheek against her hand. "So then I can't ask you to dance?"

"I wouldn't dance with you even if we could talk."

Falling backwards, Bora's back landed softly against the couch. "You're heartless."

"And you're annoying."

They spent the next few hours going over various contingency plans, counting all the different variables of what could happen. The basic consensus was that Bora would take an uber to the mansion and walk in like the rest of the guests. According to the girl next to her, there was a small little party before the auction, and that's where the masquerade part sort of comes in. It's mainly just everyone having a drink and dancing if they'd like, but it only lasts for a couple hours until the real business starts. Her partner had said the auction happens in the main room, and once you buy something you're taken to the basement with the seller and Laurent to finalize the offer. Bora felt pretty confident, as attending parties wasn't a weakness of hers. 

For her partner, she's supposed to go about thirty minutes before Bora to authenticate the flash drive. As she's a seller, she won't be in the auction crowd but rather at the front. There was a lot that could be adjusted in the moment as long as they played their roles correctly, the main point being that they can't act like they know each other. Bora was confident that if that was the biggest threat, then things would work out well. She wondered if she had just jinxed herself. 

"And lastly," the girl set down a few papers. "If you choose to drink a little alcohol, be wary of who you get it from. _Especially_ Laurent. That man thinks he owns the world."

Bora nodded as she stood up. "So this is basically all riding on the hope that some sugar daddy doesn't offer over seven million for the flash drive?"

"Essentially," she watched as the girl shrugged, playing with a pen between her fingers. "I only have so much money, and they require instant payment. No way to fake it."

"You'll be broke," Bora frowned.

The agent looked at her, Bora trying to imagine the expression she was wearing. "Money is the last thing I care about, I already told you that."

The reminder struck something in Bora that she hadn't felt before. She wasn't going to stop the agent, if turning in the flash drive as evidence was indeed what she planned on doing, then Bora had no intention on interfering past the part where she'd do it herself. But what she didn't understand was what goal was so important that she was so easily risking her life. Bora wouldn't ask because she already knew she wouldn't get an answer, and she guessed at the end of it all, it wasn't really her business. A part of Bora hoped that this all ended well, so that they could go back to being enemies. She still wanted to finally win fair and square against the agent, the unsettled battle between them still lingering. Competition was something that Bora loved, just as much as winning. Finding someone on her level was rare, and not having a clear victor was bothering her.

"So," Bora stretched. "Seeing as tomorrow is our last free day before the auction, is there anything else we have to do?"

"No, we'll meet back up Friday."

"What?" A frown formed on Bora's face. "What am I supposed to do all day then?"

"Go out?" The agent shrugged. "You were whining the other day about how you wanted to go out to the bar that night, so now is your opportunity."

It was true, Bora had wanted to go out. However, now she found she didn't really want to anymore. Maybe she was just tired. "Fine," she mumbled with a pout. "Anyway, can we go to the garden now?"

The girl hummed for a moment as if contemplating her decision. 

"Come on," Bora begged as she took a few steps closer to the seated agent. "You promised. I was good all day for you."

She watched as the girl slightly pushed back against the couch as if that would help anything. Pushing the boundaries again was something Bora suddenly had an urge to do, but refrained as she wanted to go to the garden more. She had been separated from her flowers back at home for too long, and needed something to fill the void.

"Fine," an exhale came from underneath the black mask. "We can go."

A wide smile grew on Bora's lips, beaming like a little kid. As she was about to back up, she remembered something else the agent had told her. "You also said I'd get to hear what I want," Bora's tone lowered. "So tell me."

There was a pause as Bora waited with anticipation, each breath feeling like minutes passing by. Her fingers lightly curled against her palms, eyes focused down on the girl with intensity. The words she desperately wanted to hear were so simple, so easy to slip off the tongue. The fact that she was being deprived of it had been driving her crazy more and more every hour that passed.

"No."

Bora's arms fell limp at the denial. "You're so unfair," she groaned as she walked away towards the door. There was no point in arguing, as she knew 'no' was the final answer.

"Relax," the girl said as she stood up. "We're still going to the garden at least."

Bora shrugged, guessing she was right. It's not like the agent ever had to offer to take her to a garden in the first place. "You're right," she smiled softly, watching as the girl grabbed her keys. "Thank you."

She didn't completely malfunction at the sound of a thank you this time, but a quiet chuckle left Bora's lips as she noticed a small falter in the girl's step after hearing it.

"Yeah."

Bora stood up, gently closing the car door behind her. Her eyes roamed the area, feeling a certain uneasiness as there was nothing but dying trees and overgrown brush scattering the area. Gravel crunched underneath her boots as she shifted slightly, a cold breeze biting any part of her skin that was left exposed. Hearing a car door shut to her left, Bora turned, watching as the taller girl shoved her hands in her pockets. They had driven down a dirt path for a while, and Bora had no idea where they were. Her legs began to carry her forward as she followed the masked agent, the two of them walking towards the setting sun that was dimly shining through the trees. Bora imagined this place would look like a jungle in the spring and summer, when the trees and brush weren't so dead.

"Are you planning on sacrificing me out here?" Bora joked hesitantly, a branch snapping underneath her boot.

The girl glanced back at her, black hair dancing softly against the wind thanks to the less restrictive mask. "Would you mind?"

Bora hummed for a moment, tilting her head in thought. "Depends on how you do it," she winked, making the girl focus back forward.

"Two days," the agent reminded herself, subsequently reminding Bora as well.

 _Two days._ It wasn't much time left, a countdown that couldn't be paused. Bora was well aware that they only had two days left until the auction. Two days until they parted ways. It produced a tight feeling in her chest, one that she had noticed was growing more and more each time she saw the girl. She wondered what the agent truly felt, but Bora was scared to find out. Maybe there was nothing more behind her words, or maybe there was. Bora knew it shouldn't matter to her, and it didn't. Definitely not.

They continued down a worn down path in the grass for a while, dodging hanging tree branches from time to time. This definitely wasn't the type of garden Bora thought she was going to, her expectations being more of a kept up one. Maybe she was judging too early. By the way the grass was beat down, she could tell the path was used often. She decided on saving her judgement until they got there.

"It's right ahead," Bora lifted her eyes to see the girl pointing in front of them. She followed the line, seeing a sort of abandoned looking shed surrounded by fallen trees and dead bushes. 

"In there?" She asked, assuming it was a yes.

The girl only hummed in affirmation, the movement of her hands catching Bora's attention as she began to pinch the skin on the back of her hand. It was a gesture that Bora had started to attribute with nervousness, putting her on edge. There was no way the agent would be that stupid to try and lure Bora into a trap, right? But if she were, then Bora was walking right into. The redhead's legs still didn't stop pushing her forward either way, figuring she could still hold a chance even if she was taken by surprise.

They walked up to the wooden shed, the door handle rusted. The agent placed her hand on it, turning the knob before pausing, looking behind at Bora. "Don't laugh, it's hard to grow things in the winter time even if you have a green house."

Bora nodded, knowing all too well. "Trust me, I know. I had a flower die on me a few months ago, it hurt."

She swore she heard a small chuckle from underneath the mask as the door creaked open. As soon as Bora stepped inside, she instantly felt a blast of warmth, critical for growing seasonal flowers not related to winter in the cold. She took a few steps forward, eyes widening as an array of colors mixed together yet stood out with individuality so perfectly. Translucent red and pink roses turning a different shade with each step she took, the setting sun shining through the windows and radiating off the petals with a soft glow.

A quiet gasp left her lips as she looked around. Cosmic blue hydrangeas were planted very scarcely in a large bed of white tulips. As her eyes continued to roam the area, that was a common theme she was starting to pick up. Almost all of the colors were oddly isolated, the only ones mixing together being the red and pink roses on the outskirts. Bora kept walking forward on a thin stone path through the flowers, finding a section in the middle that was kept by itself, surrounded by the stone pathing.

It was a small circular bed of flowers, probably the circumference of a few feet. A chill ran up Bora's spine as she got closer and closer, finally able to see the flowers. 

"Carnations..." she whispered to herself as looked down, seeing the sea of red. But there was a break in the middle, a single white flower surrounded by a deeper hue of crimson.

"And a chrysanthemum."

Bora suddenly dropped to her knees, her hands falling without direction in her lap. Her eyes began to sting as she stared at the flowers, the white chrysanthemum in particular. It was completely alone, and not just in that small circular area, but the entire garden. There was no other chrysanthemum planted, the only one being in the midst of all the carnations. There were many different ways to interpret the meaning, assuming there was one. The simplest interpretation being love and death, or love at the expense of death. But there could also be a deeper meaning. Not physical death, but mental death.

A death of the person you once were.

With all the red carnations surrounding it, it almost felt like they were suffocating the chrysanthemum, like it would never be able to find it's way out. Like wherever it turned, it would always see the carnations. Bora felt a pang in her heart, her hands gripping the fabric of her pants as she felt a tear slide down her cheek. Love and death. Carnations and chrysanthemums. Her and Siyeon. How different they felt at first before Bora realized the girl was like her second half. The way the white flower was isolated evoked an emotion deep within her that she couldn't swallow. She imagined it to be how Siyeon felt when Bora let her be taken away. Bora knew how much she bloomed inside of Siyeon back then, the girl always wanting to be around her yet refusing to make friends with other kids. She was all Siyeon had, Bora's presence surrounding her like the field of carnations. 

Her body began to tremble as the tears escaped her eyes one after another. She squeezed her eyes shut, but the ghost of the single white flower was already engraved in the back of her eyelids. Bora wondered when she'd be able to move on, if ever. Trying to contain her sobs, the quiet noise of rustling fabric next to her caught her attention. She didn't open her eyes, but she could feel how the air shifted, and the comforting scent drifting her way. She could tell the agent had sat down next to her, for reasons Bora didn't know, or really care about at the moment. And so they sat there in silence, Bora trying to control her tears, meanwhile the girl not saying a word.

As she lifted her head, Bora finally opened her eyes, landing on the white chrysanthemum again. The grip on her pants loosened, her shoulders finally done shaking. Her lips parted, hesitantly forming a name that brought her so much guilt.

"Siyeon," she whispered under a shaky breath. "I..."

_Miss you._

Bora bit her lip, unable to get out the rest of the sentence before feeling emotion bubble up in her throat again. She had to stop crying, especially in front of her enemy. Though now that she thought about it, the girl still hadn't said a word. Bora glanced over, the agent only sitting patiently while looking at the flowers. Upon realizing she was being looked at, Bora watched as the mask turned her direction, meeting her gaze. Maybe it was because there was a mask in the way, but Bora felt no judgement or ridicule from crying just a few moments ago.

A halfhearted chuckle left her lips as she moved her gaze back to the flowers in front of them. "It's a beautiful garden."

"I like to think so."

She had no idea how much time passed after that. It could have been seconds, minutes or hours, and Bora wouldn't know. Her eyes didn't want to leave the beautifully depressing color palette in front of her. It felt like the more she studied it, the more she understood maybe how Siyeon felt after they were seperated, even though it wasn't even her garden. It was a story Bora was able to make for herself, and that's what she loved about flowers. They all have a meaning, depending on the variant and color. How you interpret that meaning is entirely up to you.

She rested her head on her knee, once again finding comfort in the silence. "You were good today," the agent suddenly spoke softly yet reassuringly. "Bora."

Bora's puffy, tear stained eyes widened, the words so easily triggering that rush of warmth throughout her entire body. Her eyes darted to the right to look at the girl, but she wasn't returning the gaze. Instead, the agent stood up, dusting off her pants. 

"Will that make you stop crying?" Her tone fell to it's usual setting, shoving her hands in her pockets.

Bora only watched as the girl walked out of the garden, the noise of the door creaking shut cutting the calm air. She didn't want to get up yet, her mind still repeating the words spoken just moments ago like a broken record. It was said so quickly that Bora almost didn't catch it, leaving her with a want to hear it again. Or maybe it was just that addicting. Smiling to herself, Bora got to her feet, taking a last melancholic glance at the garden. It was beautiful, every part of it, and she wished she could have admired it more. Whispering a small goodbye to the lone chrysanthemum, Bora made her way out to the car, eyes falling on a tall, lean build that was leaning against the driver's door. The sun had set, only the full moon offering a source of light, but it was enough for Bora to see. Even if she couldn't see her face, Bora found the agent looked good in the moonlight.

"You look slightly conflicted," Bora observed as she walked over to the passenger side. 

"You cried in my garden, was it really that bad?"

A genuine laugh came from Bora's throat, resting her palms on the top of the car and dropping her chin on them as she stared at the long black hair brushing across hidden shoulders. 

"It was okay," she joked, the girl quickly spinning to look at her. It seemed she was about to say something but suddenly stopped, Bora tilting her head in curiosity.

"What?"

"Your eyes..." the agent mumbled timidly. "They reflect the moon."

Teasing didn't even cross Bora's mind this time, a development she'd be proud of had she noticed. Instead, a warm smile grew on her lips, adoration almost pouring from her eyes. Something was shifting, and it seemed neither of them had the courage to face it.

As if realizing she had said that out loud, the girl suddenly opened her door. "Get in, it's late."

Nodding, Bora opened the passenger door. She put one leg in before stopping, taking one last look at the shed holding the garden. She wondered if she'd ever see it again, or if this was the last time. Wanting to carve it in her memories, Bora studied it for a few seconds longer before getting in and closing the car door. Whatever that warmth was inside of her, she could deal with. After all, after the night ends there would only be one more full day before the auction. 

And less than 48 hours until this is all over. 48 hours until Bora's world began to turn normally again. Or at least she hoped.


	11. night

No more than a few hours ago, the sky was painted with hues of purple, blue and a small mixture of red. Now, the only thing that was visible was the soft glow of the crescent moon, stars hidden by the city lights. A matte black canvas, as if allowing whoever was under it to paint their own image. And most people do exactly that, go in which way their life takes them, painting their own image and recreating the canvas until they're satisfied. It was something Bora was jealous of, as she never got to experience that sort of freedom. Maybe a part of it was her own fault, her fear of love and emotions in general never letting her have the chance at a good relationship like her friends. But even then, that was the most they could paint for themselves. The rest was dictated by their superiors, and it would be that way until she could no longer breathe.

The darkness around her suddenly felt thick, suffocating. Darkness had never been a fear of Bora's, but it seemed that she underestimated the cold night, finding no warmth anywhere she went. It was like that when she went to the bar, and it was still lingering once she left. Her walk back to the hotel only seemed to be amplifying it, probably thanks to the alcohol. All that seemed to exist around her was blinding street lights and a chilly breeze, biting through her clothes. Her senses were too far gone to register anyone around her despite there being casual pedestrians, the way her legs would stumble over each other every other step as if announcing to the world she was drunk. She hadn't meant to get to this point, but the more she drank, the louder the noises in her head became and all she wanted was for them to be quiet.

Ironically, as she stumbled her way home, the noises were louder than ever. And to make matters worse, the deafening clamor of a train going by in the distance reverberated throughout her skull as if it were inside. She groaned tiredly, just wanting to get back to the hotel and hide under the covers forever. As her feet carried her forward sluggishly, the sound of her phone suddenly caught her attention, messily digging it out of her back pocket.

"Hello?" She muttered, not in the mood to talk.

"You sound a little worse for wear," the soft voice chuckled, Bora recognizing it as Minji's.

Giving her an obvious fake laugh, Bora sighed. "What do you want Minji? I'm tired."

"And drunk I take it?"

Bora had a hard time hearing her, as it sounded like the girl was standing right next to a train track. "Are you inside a train or something?" 

"What?" The girl sounded surprised for a moment before realizing. "Oh, no. I'm in a hotel, it's just near train tracks I guess."

It almost felt like an illusion, how Bora's left ear would hear the train in the distance, her right ear that was pressed against the phone hearing Minji's train at the same time. Shrugging it off, Bora put her free hand in her pocket. "Oh. Anyway, why are you calling again?"

"Just checking to see how you were doing, you hung up really fast the last time we spoke."

"You guys called at a bad time," Bora slurred, trying to still sound coherent. "I was with someone."

A laugh brushed against her ear through the phone. "I remember. Was she fun?"

"Classified information," Bora smiled to herself, absentmindedly thinking about the masked agent.

"Sounds like she wasn't too bad," the girl chuckled. "I'm glad you had a little fun."

The smile lingered on Bora's lips for a while as she stared down at the concrete, not willing to lift her eyes in fear of being blinded by a passing car. "How are things for you?"

"Things have been okay," Minji spoke softly, the train in the background fading. Coincidentally, Bora heard the train around herself fade away as well. "Honestly, I'm not sure about a lot of things right now."

Even in her drunken stupor, Bora picked up on the shakiness in her friend's voice. The uncertainty in it being rare, as Minji was always someone who tackled things with positivity. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's nothing," she heard the girl laugh halfheartedly. Bora was about to protest but didn't have the chance to speak. "I have to go, I smell smoke coming from the kitchen and I know Yooh tried cooking something. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Alright," Bora nodded, almost slamming into a stop sign.

"Night Bora, stay safe."

"Goodnight Minji."

Bora exhaled softly, watching as her breath appeared in front of her. She didn't like how anxious her friend sounded, but there wasn't much she could do when she was drunk. Moving to put her phone back in her pocket, it suddenly started ringing again, an annoyed sound coming from Bora's lips.

"What Minji?" She slurred as she put the phone back up to her ear. The voice that answered her back _definitely_ wasn't Minji. It was a deeper, more smooth voice, one that was occupying her mind with each shot she had taken tonight. It also sounded way more panicked.

"Where are you?" 

"Wolfie?" Bora tilted her head. "Wait, you have my number?" It shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did, as the girl always seemingly knew everything about her.

"Bora," the girl suddenly spoke more demanding. "Tell me where you are."

Bora looked around her, searching for a street sign or anything to indicate where she was. "12th street," she squinted, trying to read the sign that seemed to be spinning slightly.

"Don't move."

Stopping in her tracks, Bora stood there in confusion as the only noise coming from her phone was a constant buzz. "Did she really just hang up on me?" She frowned, pocketing her phone. She had no idea what was so important, or why she was standing still. Maybe the girl planned on blowing up a building and wanted Bora out of the radius. In that case, she should probably do something to stop it. All of that sounded like too much work, so Bora just decided to stay put for a while, her eyelids begging to fall shut.

Only a couple minutes had passed and Bora already felt irritation and impatience building inside of her. It was cold, and not moving meant your body is more susceptible to being cold. She almost decided to just keep walking back to her hotel before a car pulled up beside her, the door quickly opening and grabbing her attention. Lazily turning her head to the left, Bora jumped, seeing the taller masked girl right beside her.

"Where did you come from?" Bora's words slurred. She felt a hand grip her shoulder, pulling her forward.

"Get in the car," the girl ordered as she opened the door for Bora. 

Not arguing, Bora slipped in the familiar sports car, feeling the warmth from the running heaters. She carefully slid into her seat, trying not to completely fall over. Once she was in, she heard her car door shut before the driver's door opened and closed. The car didn't instantly move as she thought it would, instead the two of them sitting in silence for a moment.

"I'm taking you back to your hotel," a monotone voice broke the silence, Bora seeing a hand reach for the steering wheel.

"What?" She pouted. "I don't want to."

The girl looked over at her, putting the car out of park. "I don't care."

Bora's hands balled into fists as she felt the car gently move forward, emotion building inside of her that usually would be swallowed if not drunk.

"Don't you think you should?" She suddenly snapped. "You don't have to care like we're best friends but God, can't you fucking care a little bit? You don't care about what I think, you don't care about what I want, you don't care about _anything."_

 _"_ Is that what you think?" The girl laughed humorlessly, confusing Bora.

"Obviously."

No one spoke for a few moments, though the frustration not leaving Bora. She was too drunk to stop her outburst, and it would probably embarrass her once she woke up tomorrow morning.

The agent only sighed, not taking her eyes off the road. "I'm not arguing with you when you're drunk."

"Right," Bora scoffed. "And you'd argue with me if I was sober? Don't fucking lie, you would just brush it off like everything else."

"Just shut up until I drop you off."

Bora thought about being in her cold, empty hotel room, the thought in itself making her feel panic. "Please don't," she begged, her voice losing any malice it once held. "Please don't take me back to the hotel."

She saw the mask glance at her for the first time while they were stopped at a stop light. "You need to sleep off the alcohol."

Bora's hands gripped the fabric of her tight jeans, anxiety forming inside of her that she hadn't felt in a long time. Being alone was always a fear of Bora's, despite her being a solo agent. She usually always had someone to be around before all of this happened. But now that she and her friends had been so busy with finding the flash drive, Bora's felt more alone than she ever has. The alcohol was a strong influence on that feeling.

"Why did you even pick me up anyway," she mumbled more to herself than anything, though the girl heard. 

"I'll tell you tomorrow, it's useless if you're drunk."

Bora stared out the window with a melancholic gaze. She hated how good it felt to be here, in a car that smelled entirely of the girl next to her. She hated how despite the cold tone of the girl's words, Bora felt warm. It was contradicting and wrong.

"Is everything useless when I'm drunk?" Bora muttered. "Just drop me off here and let me walk by myself."

"Stop being difficult."

A humorless laugh left Bora's lips, watching as the window fogged up from the release of air. "Difficult? I'm being human. I have wants and needs like anyone else, or maybe you don't understand that."

There was a small part of Bora, or rather a large part of her that knew she was wrong. Maybe the girl didn't care at all, but there was still moments of human decency. Like when she fixed her bracelet for her, took her to the garden, things like that. But it didn't matter, her pent up emotions releasing at a bad time. Usually she wasn't an angry drunk, being more of an affectionate and clingy kind of person when alcohol induced. 

"I don't understand why you're so mad," the girl sighed, sounding genuinely confused.

"I don't want to be alone," Bora admitted after a short pause. "I don't want to go back to an empty hotel room."

There was silence as the agent didn't speak for a while, getting caught by every red light they could get. "Then what do you want?" She finally asked.

Bora's head tilted to look at the girl, the word so easily passing her lips. "Take me home with you."

"No way."

"Please," Bora almost felt like crying. "I'll go back to my hotel when I'm sober."

There was another long stretch of silence, Bora becoming more and more desperate each second. " _Please,"_ she begged again upon the girl's silence. "Please don't leave me alone."

The agent's grip on the steering wheel tightened as if fighting an internal battle. "Ironic hearing you say that," she spoke almost bitterly, catching Bora off guard.

"What?"

"Nothing," the girl quickly shook her head. If Bora wasn't drunk she would have investigated it more. 

They had changed lanes into the one that Bora recognized as the way to the hotel, and she already felt the disappointment and anxiety rising with each centimeter they gained. She let out a small breath, telling herself she'd be fine. She would, but panic attacks aren't necessarily fun to deal with, and she knew as soon as she stepped foot in the room, she'd start to feel trembling hands and struggled breathing. Swallowing her fear to the best of her ability, Bora bit her lower lip in attempt to hide it. As they were about to turn, a small whisper came from underneath the mask next to her.

"Damn it," the agent quietly cursed, swerving the car into the other lane to make them miss the turn. Bora's eyes widened, watching as they passed the hotel.

"You-"

"Just until you're sober, okay?" The girl cut her off. "As soon as you can think coherently again, you're going home. Not a second after."

Despite those words being said with a certain harshness, Bora couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you."

The door closed behind Bora, instant relief filling her body as she was blanketed in the comforting feeling of the agent's home. The girl brushed past her wordlessly, taking off her coat and setting it on the couch. Bora did the same, though having a little difficulty shrugging it off. She almost fell over trying to pull her arm out of the sleeve, but a pair of hands on her shoulders abruptly stopped her.

"What were you doing getting so drunk?" The girl scolded, although her voice was much softer than before. "We were attacked in public just the other day, it could have happened again tonight."

"Thinking about you," Bora said honestly, feeling the coat being taken off of her. She noticed a small pause in the girl's movements.

"I see you still like to tease even when you're drunk."

The agent walked to the kitchen, filling a glass of water and handing it to Bora. "I'm not teasing," she accepted the cup. "I wondered what you did all day since I didn't get to see you. I wondered if you thought about me at all, or saw someone else."

"Would that make you jealous?" The girl tilted her head slightly, exciting Bora.

"Do you want me to be?"

A small laugh left the taller girl's lips as she shook her head, turning around. Before she could walk away, Bora reached forward, lightly gripping the girl's shirt between her fingers. It seemed to have startled the agent, her head snapping to behind to look at Bora.

"What are you doing?"

Surprisingly, Bora wasn't instantly punished by being shoved against a wall or a hand put around her throat. Instead, it was one of the few times she touched the girl without any form of retaliation. She bit her lip, not letting go of the shirt.

"Can we do something?"

"Do something?" The girl questioned. 

"Like..." Bora suddenly felt embarrassed. "Watch a movie or something?"

It was like the world had froze for a moment, neither of them moving or saying a word. It was a request Bora had no right to ask, seeing as she barely got to come here anyway. However, not being instantly denied gave her hope.

"A-a movie?" She heard the girl stutter slightly.

Bora nodded, her fingers slipping off the shirt. "It'll help me sober up, I'll leave after it."

"Okay..." The agent agreed hesitantly, surprising Bora. "What do you want to watch?"

"Have you seen any of the Avengers movies?"

"Yes," she got an answer a little too quickly. "I mean, yeah. I've seen a couple."

A smile grew on Bora's face, finding something they had in common. "Then can we watch one?"

"Sure, but remember you're going home after."

"Yes ma'am."

Bora jumped on the couch, any anger she felt earlier had disappeared in a matter of seconds. Now, she was just extremely content and excited. A minute later, she felt the couch dip next to her, her eyes moving towards the source. She frowned as she saw how far away the girl had sat, Bora being a person who wanted to cuddle while watching a movie. The frown was quickly replaced with a surprised look as a blanket fell on her lap.

"If you get cold use that."

Bora instantly snuggled underneath it, the soft fabric brushing against her chin. She hummed out of happiness, the glow of the tv screen illuminating the room, though no buttons were being pressed. If she had looked to her right, she'd see how the girl was staring at her. 

"Can we cuddle?" Bora asked as she moved her gaze to the person next to her, barely seeing how the girl snapped her head to the tv.

"No."

"Come on," the redhead pouted. "You can't tell me you don't like to cuddle."

The girl only shook her head, pressing play and tossing the remote to the side. "Shut up and watch the movie."

Leaning back with a dejected sigh, Bora reluctantly stayed put. "Fine."

The movie started, Bora instantly recognizing it as one of her favorites. _Avengers: Age of Ultron._ It was the one she and Siyeon watched the most together. Bora would always fall asleep against the girl's shoulder, and Siyeon would tease her about it the next day once they had woken up. It almost felt like a routine, the normalcy in it being something Bora missed. She wondered if Siyeon would be mad at her, watching it without her. Bora hadn't watched the movie since the day Siyeon was taken away, this being the first time in years. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, countless others suddenly invaded her head, drowning out the world around her as the minutes ticked by

The questions of how Siyeon felt after all of that happened filled Bora's head. She wished there was some way she could get an answer, but she was also too scared to hear it even if she could. Maybe she could talk to Gahyeon once this was all over and ask her more about Siyeon. Although from what she had heard already, Siyeon reverted back to her closed off self, and didn't talk to anyone. Bora felt a choking feeling in her throat as the sadness bubbled again. Not being able to be there for Siyeon was something she knew she'd never move past. She should have tried to find her, she should have tried to contact her somehow. She-

"Are you okay?" She heard a voice ask quietly next to her.

Bora flinched at the sudden noise, eyes moving to the girl next to her who seemed much closer. "What?"

"I asked if you're okay. Don't tell me you're too drunk to understand that."

"No," Bora shook her head. "I mean, no, I'm not too drunk. I'm sobering up a little." It was true, they were already half way through the movie and Bora had been drinking water to help. 

"Good," the girl nodded. "Now answer. Are you okay?"

Was she okay? Bora had no idea, and she didn't think she ever would. "I'm fine," she answered, her shaky breath testifying against her.

A frustrated exhale left the girl's lips. "If you're going to lie just don't answer at all."

"If you don't care then don't ask at all," Bora fired back.

Neither of them moved as they stared at each other, the movie still playing in the background. "I asked if you're okay because I noticed the way your eyes weren't even watching the movie anymore, and yet somehow I made you mad. I don't get you at all."

"Why were you even watching me in the first place?" Bora's hands balled into fists. She tried to ignore the butterflies she felt after hearing the girl was watching her. "The tv is in front of us."

"That's not the point," the agent shifted to look at Bora better. "You tell me in the car that I don't care how you feel or what you want, so here we are. I let you watch a movie, and now after noticing something was wrong, all I get is a big 'fuck you'. Jesus Bora," she laughed bitterly. "I didn't even stop you from inching your way closer and closer as the movie went on."

Bora's eyes grew wide, never really hearing the girl sound so affected or talk that much about anything other than their work. Had she really let her watch a movie just because Bora said the girl didn't care? She wondered how much was hiding inside of the agent, because this sounded like it was only the tip of the iceberg. Maybe she was being too unfair, but the alcohol had affected her emotions earlier, and she didn't mean to lash out like she did. Her lips parted to apologize, but her chance to talk was cut off.

"I don't get it," the girl let out a heavy breath. "What do you want from me?"

It was a question that Bora would only tease, though this time, she knew exactly what she wanted. Swallowing a lump in her throat, Bora's lips parted again, this time with confidence. "I want you to kiss me."

It was a bold statement, she knew that. With the tone she used, it was clear she wasn't just teasing this time. The way the girl's body froze, Bora knew she had heard it correctly, anticipation building with how she'd react. 

"Are you drunk?" The girl asked, her voice barely over a whisper. 

Bora shook her head, the alcohol in her system mostly gone by now. "No."

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes, trust me"

The girl moved forward, Bora feeling hands being placed on the couch on either side of her. "Good."

The last thing Bora saw was a mask coming closer and closer before her vision suddenly went black, a hand gently covering her eyes. Her lips parted to protest before soft lips crashed into her own, the sensation sending a shock through her body. Bora started to slowly move her lips, returning the kiss with a slow rhythm as she took her time to feel things out. It was exactly how she imagined it would feel, but even better if that was even possible. Fingers greedily wrapped around the side of her waist where her shirt had pushed up, the warm feeling of skin against her own making her shiver. The girl nipped at her bottom lip, Bora happily giving access and feeling a tongue push against her own. It was intoxicating, the slow kiss beginning to burn with hunger as their mouths moved against each other with desperation and need. Surprisingly, it wasn't Bora who was setting the needy pace. Not that she minded, but the girl was kissing her with an intensity that made her wonder.

The strength in Bora's arms suddenly gave out, her back falling against the couch, the body on top of her following. Their lips parted for a moment as they caught their breath, Bora not wanting it to end yet. She blindly wrapped her arms around the girl on top of her, pulling her back down into a deep kiss, their lips moving against each other with a certain hunger that made Bora's stomach flip. It all felt so wrong yet so right, how their lips felt like they were made for each other. Everything in her body was screaming for more, the hand exploring her waist not helping in the slightest. Groaning in protest as the girl pulled away from her, Bora was quickly shut up as she felt a tongue drag across her throat, teeth softly biting the exposed skin underneath her jaw. Her head flew back, eyes squeezed shut as she tried to maintain her breathing.

"Fuck," Bora moaned with a shaky breath, her neck always being her weak spot. She knew if they didn't stop soon then it'd be too late. 

Lips pressed against the spot where teeth just were, sucking against Bora's skin and nipping at it like she was a vampire. Bora's hands desperately entangled themselves into the girl's shirt, grabbing a fistful of fabric as her body squirmed against the kisses being placed on her neck. Soft whimpers and struggled breaths left her throat, only audible for the agent to hear. She was quickly losing any rationality she had left as she felt a tongue drag all the way up from her neck to her jawline. Inviting, warm lips made their way back up to her own, Bora eagerly meeting them again. They moved in perfect synchronization, the way the girl's tongue skillfully navigated Bora's mouth as if it had been there a thousand times before. Kissing her was something Bora felt like she could forever. It was completely intoxicating and addicting, and nothing she'd ever experienced before this compared.

Unfortunately for her, the girl slowly pulled her lips away from Bora's, the weight on her chest disappearing. Bora could only sit there in silence as she took heavy breaths, trying to come back down from the clouds. If she felt this good just from kissing, she wondered how it would feel if they went all the way. She stayed still as the hand covering her eyes still hadn't moved, feeling hot breath dusting against her skin from above. She could tell the girl was staring at her, and it was driving Bora crazy. The hand on her waist moved up, resting on her cheek. Bora felt a thumb gently drag over her bottom lip before settling underneath her chin. Soft lips suddenly linked with her own again, this time without a certain hunger. Instead, it was just a short kiss, but it made Bora's head feel slightly fuzzy as if the girl was taking one last chance to remember the taste of her lips.

Before she could do anything else, she felt the couch shift, the body that was hovering over her gone. Bora's eyes slowly fluttered open, the glow of the tv screen on the ceiling being the first thing she saw. She gradually sat up, gaze falling on the mask that was watching the movie. A pout formed on Bora's lips, feeling an uncomfortable pool of heat between her thighs.

"You're really just going to leave me turned on like this?" She whined, almost begging the agent to be merciful for once.

Unfortunately her plea wasn't heard. "I only kissed you so you would shut up and watch the movie."

Bora shrugged, leaning back into the couch and pulling the blanket up. "Didn't hurt to ask."

They went back to watching the movie, only for Bora, everything was different. Her mind wouldn't let go of the lingering taste on her lips, one that she desperately wanted to taste again already. It was unfair how her body craved the person she couldn't have, or maybe that's exactly why she wanted it. Because the girl was something she couldn't have, and it was possible that was the only reason for attraction. Bora would have liked that to be the case, but deep down, she knew it wasn't the entire reason. Her tongue absentmindedly swiped over her lower lip in attempt to savor the last remaining bit of the forbidden taste.

As the movie went on, Bora's eyes began to feel heavy. She had been trying to keep her eyelids from falling closed for the past thirty minutes, but it was getting increasingly harder. She knew she had to go home once it was over, and as much as she was trying to stick to that promise, it wasn't getting any easier. The voices coming from the tv were almost incoherent, Bora's mind not awake enough to make out anything that they were saying or doing. Not that it mattered anyway, she and Siyeon had watched this movie enough times to recite the entire thing like a live musical. Her head began to slowly fall to the side as her eyelids finally fell shut, everything around her disappearing and turning black.

The girl jumped as she felt Bora fall against her, quickly looking over to the distraction. "Get off," she muttered, ready to push the redhead away before hearing small snores coming from the smaller one.

A sigh left her lips as she stared down at Bora, watching as the soft glow of the tv screen illuminated her features. "Eleven years and you still don't know how to stay awake during a movie," she whispered, quietly scolding the older girl. 

"Annoying."

Bora's neck felt stiff as her mind slowly began to come back to consciousness. Whatever time it was, she could already tell it wasn't very early in the morning. It was that kind of sleep where you almost feel like you were dead but came back to life eventually. Her brain was extremely hazy, not wanting to peek her eyes open in fear of seeing the sunlight. She knew she had gotten drunk last night, but past that, she didn't remember much. All she knew was that despite her neck feeling stiff, she was extremely comfortable, and most definitely didn't want to move. In fact, she felt like she could stay in the hotel bed forever. The comforter had a soft grip on her back, her arms hugging a pillow tightly underneath her. Even the smell of the pillow, almost bringing back nostalgia or deja vu of Siyeon for some reason. How the pillow would slowly rise and fall, like-

_Wait._

Bora's eyes flew open, realizing that what was underneath her was most definitely not a pillow. The first thing she saw was a gray concrete wall and a tv that was still on, but was stuck on the end of the credits. She didn't have to look around anymore to figure out where she was. Panic coursed through her veins, her fingers that were lightly holding on to the soft shirt of the girl underneath her quickly letting go. Bora pulled her arms from around her, quickly sitting up to assess the situation. Her eyes traveled down, looking at the clothes on her own body. Thankfully, both of them were still dressed. That was supposed to be a good thing, but Bora definitely felt a small amount of disappointment rise in her throat. Shaking it off, her gaze fixated on the sleeping girl, the mask still tightly secured but her black shirt was slightly pushed up, revealing the last bit of her toned stomach. Bora swallowed dryly, her teeth playing with her bottom lip.

And that's when the events of last night suddenly exploded in her mind. How she got drunk, and the girl picked her up (for reasons Bora would still like to know). How they were watching a movie and somehow started making out. Bora mentally slapped herself. She wasn't drunk or out of her mind when it happened, she knew exactly what was happening. But it was thanks to the alcohol that Bora even felt that needy to begin with. The ghost of the girl's lips against hers was all that she could think about as she sat there, wondering if she had made a huge mistake. In theory and professionalism, it was. But the desire didn't stem from either of those, it was deeply rooted in Bora's body, growing everyday. So depending on how you looked at it, it was either a mistake or an inevitable cause and effect. And honestly, Bora wouldn't mind for it to happen again.

She wanted to lay back down, to have the arms that fell off to the side back around her waist. It was warm and comforting, a certain feeling of safety that she hadn't felt in years. She wondered how she didn't end up getting kicked out after the movie, the only thing that made sense to Bora was that the girl had already fallen asleep before she did. Otherwise, there was no way the agent wouldn't have just woken her up and forced her to leave. Resisting the urge to just lay down, Bora carefully got up off the couch, wondering what the hell she should do. Maybe she could leave and come back as if she hadn't stayed the night, but the door would definitely give her away. She frowned in thought, walking to the kitchen to get some water.

As she made her way through the open room, her eyes caught a broken mask laying on a table. It was placed like a puzzle piece put together, the small cracks of where it was broken barely visible. Bora walked up to it, recognizing it as one of the masks that was used in the parking garage attack. She started to wonder why the girl had it, but before she could start to have any doubts, she heard something behind her.

"It's from the other night," a deep, raspy voice tickled Bora's ear, startling her. She almost shivered at the sound, the girl's morning voice being something she could listen to forever.

"I know," Bora said quietly, her fingers tracing over the cracks. "But why do you have it?"

"I wanted to study it. It's definitely not made of the same material Cobra uses for their masks."

Bora slowly turned around, surprised at how close the girl was standing. Her black hair was disheveled, parts of it sticking out, almost reminding Bora of a lion. She held back her smile for now, staying serious for moment.

"And what does that mean?"

The girl lazily shrugged, Bora remembering how much of a morning person she wasn't. "Not Cobra, but I have a theory."

"A theory?" Bora tilted her head quizzically. "Does it have anything to do with why you picked me up so abruptly last night?"

"Yeah," the agent nodded her head. "I'm positive it was the Government."

Bora's eyes widened, her lips parting as she tried to think of what to say. "What?"

"I was thinking about it all of yesterday. It wouldn't make any sense for an organization to come after you. Your identity is still hidden and the only people you're focused on right now is Cobra. Those people tried to disguise themselves, and the only reason you would do that is because you know you've been doing something you shouldn't, and can't have the evidence come back to you. I think someone figured out what you've been doing."

Nodding slowly, Bora bit her lower lip. "So you were worried about me?"

The girl's head jerked back. "That's all you got from that?"

"You were so serious on the phone," Bora smiled. "I thought it was because you were mad I was out late but now that I know it's because you were worried..." Her tongue swiped over her lower lip. "It's kind of hot."

"Unbelievable," the agent sighed as she walked away. "I tell you your own agency might be after you and that's all you can think of?"

Bora smiled at the panicked reaction, looking back down at the mask. "Even if you're right, there's nothing I can do about it anyway. Besides, everything seems to be fine. I talked to my friends the other day."

"That's not the point Bora," the girl turned around frustratedly. "This means they can track you much easier if they know your identity. You walking home drunk at midnight could have easily taken a bad turn."

"But it didn't. I'll deal with it later, today is the auction. We don't need to be worrying about other things."

The girl shook her head. "You're putting off something that shouldn't be."

Bora opened her mouth to speak but was abruptly cut off.

"Don't forget that this is important to me. I need you to get to my goal, if your safety is at risk then it's _my_ problem too."

Bora's eyes narrowed, almost feeling like a pawn in a game of chess by the way she was being talked about. Maybe that's exactly what she was.

"Is kissing me an important step to getting to your goal?" She asked with a small head tilt, catching the girl off guard.

"We're not talking about that."

"Of course we aren't," a humorless laugh left Bora's lips. "I've been letting you use me how you want under the small condition that I take the flash drive and turn it in. The least you could offer in return is some human decency."

"You agreed to this."

"I agreed to helping you," Bora snapped. "I didn't agree to the confusion you put me through."

"That's not my fault," the agent crossed her arms, looking away.

Bora stared at her with anger, but mainly towards herself. "Is it not? Then tell me why you kissed me if it wasn't just to glue me into your perfect puzzle."

She watched as the girl glanced at her, not fully turning to face her. "I'm not going to talk about last night. Make your own conclusion."

Laughing bitterly as she shook her head, Bora walked to the door. "I can't believe there was a part of me that didn't want this to end."

Her hand reached for the door handle, feeling cold steel against her skin as if reminding her of the temperature outside. This time, it didn't necessarily bother her. She wanted to leave, recollect her thoughts. Bora knew she had acted out for no reason, and she knew she was just as much at fault for everything. To make things confusing, it took two people. It wasn't to say that she liked the girl, because she definitely didn't. But there was definitely attraction, and she couldn't deny that anymore. Bora was good at ignoring things and pushing them in the back of her mind, but with the way her body reacted to the kiss last night, it was clear there was at least _some_ form of attraction. 

"Wait," she heard a voice call out behind her, Bora's hand freezing as she turned around.

She didn't say anything, waiting for the girl to continue. As the seconds ticked by, a continuation was something Bora wasn't sure she'd get. The girl seemed to be having an internal conversation with herself, forgetting Bora was even there.

"I need to give you something for tonight."

Bora didn't have time to say anything before the agent disappeared behind one of the doors. She just stood there, waiting to see what it was.

"Here," the girl held out a couple of things to Bora after coming back into the room.

Taking the items out of her hand, Bora looked down to figure out what they were. "A burner phone and a mask?" She asked, observing the red masquerade like mask in her hand. It was beautiful and way less restrictive than Cobra's mask, this one only covering the eyes and nose. It had a couple of red feathers eloquently hanging off the sides, the rest being wrapped in a sort of lacy material. 

"Wear that tonight along with something more on the formal side, as that's the dress code. As for the burner phone, use it when you win the bid. It's connected to my funds, and that's how you'll pay. Also, if anything happens, you can contact me from it."

"Okay," Bora pocketed the phone and held the mask between her fingers with uncertainty. "Be careful okay?"

"Sure."

Bora shook her head with a sarcastic sigh. "Have you never watched a romance movie? This is the part where you're supposed to passionately kiss me and whisper it back."

"You can leave now."

A small laugh left Bora's lips as she turned around, opening the door. She hesitated for a moment, something forming on the tip of her tongue, but whatever it was that she wanted say, it wouldn't come out. 

"I'll see you after the party."

She heard the noise of the door closing behind her as she walked away, hands in her pockets as she braced for the ice cold air. Assuming there was in fact a dangerous toxin researched on the flash drive, a lot was riding on tonight. Bora wondered how this would all end, if she'd regret ever choosing personal feelings for once or wish she had done it sooner. She wondered if one of them would end up in a body bag, hoping that it wouldn't be two. If one of them got away with the flash drive, it would be good enough. But that was only worst case scenario, if things took a bad turn. Honestly it should go pretty smoothly as long as no one offers a higher amount than her. Bora just wanted to go home, not back to the hotel but back to her real home. Where Minji, Yoohyeon, Yubin and Gahyeon were. Speaking of Gahyeon, Bora suddenly remembered how the girl sounded a little nervous on the phone the other day. 

"I should probably call her," Bora whispered to herself as she walked towards the street. She decided on calling the younger girl once she got back to the hotel.

A relieved sigh filled the once silent hotel room as Bora flipped the light switch on, walking over to the couch and falling over. Despite sleeping until two in the afternoon, she still felt tired, and she could probably thank the alcohol for that. She'd be the first to admit that she probably shouldn't have gotten so drunk the night before an important mission, but here she was anyway. Still thinking about the same thing, drunk or not. The black expressionless mask that invaded her everyday thoughts. Bora sighed again, thinking back to this morning, or afternoon, rather. How she woke up with arms slung around her back, as if keeping her close. Bora knew it probably just happened while the both of them were asleep, but still. With how quickly the girl woke up after her, Bora silently wondered if she was asleep in the first place.

Pushing the thoughts out of her mind, Bora dug her phone out of her back pocket, checking the time. She should probably get ready for the masquerade soon, knowing she still had to shower and do all of that. Tapping on the call button, Bora typed in Gahyeon's number before lifting the phone to her ear, waiting as it rang for a few moments.

"Hello?" She heard the girl answer.

"Hey Gahyeon," Bora smiled softly. "How are you?"

"Hi Bora! I'm fine, just dragging Yubin out to eat, what about you?"

Bora chuckled lightly. "Good, she needs to get out." It made her happy to see how good the two of them were for each other. "And I'm doing fine, ready to be able to go home honestly."

"Me too," the girl pouted. "We've all been so busy, I actually forgot the Spectre unit existed for a while."

"True," Bora laughed. "I haven't heard anything from them for a while."

"They're doing their usual thing, carrying out important missions in the dark."

"Sounds like them," a smile formed on Bora's lips. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you about a couple nights ago when you guys called. You sounded a little scared or nervous by something, and I didn't get to ask what was up. Are you okay?"

There was a silence on the other end of the phone that worried Bora for a moment, but it was quickly filled with a nervous chuckle. "Oh yeah, it was nothing. I asked Minji about it after you hung up but she said it was nothing and that I probably shouldn't worry you with it."

Bora furrowed her eyebrows. "What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Now that I look back on it, it was pretty crazy. I was just hearing things."

"Alright..." Bora bit her lip hesitantly. Something didn't sound right, but she knew she had to start getting ready. "Well I have to go, I was just calling to make sure everything was okay. If you ever need anything, call me, okay?"

"Okay," she heard the girl smile. "Thanks Bora."

"No problem, have a good night and tell Yubin she better be treating you well."

"I will, see you later."

"Later."

Hanging up, Bora tossed her phone to the side with a conflicted groan. There was too much for her to balance. Gahyeon acting suspicious, the whole masquerade thing, her own feelings, and the fact that there is most definitely corruption within the Government agency. It was too much, and she didn't have time to properly comb through everything. For now, she could only take it step by step, and focus on one aspect in particular. Tonight, that would be the flash drive. Pushing everything else down, Bora stood up with a stretch and began to get ready for the busy night.


	12. guilty palette

Bora let out a quiet, confident breath as the icy air bit her exposed thighs. She felt small standing in front of a tall, elegant oak wood door. A series of rectangles constructed by windows and sturdy white concrete towered over her, greedily expanding far from her left and right. It was more house than anyone could ever need, she was sure of that. There were neatly trimmed hedges surrounding the front of the mansion, as well as a few flowers planted here and there. Bora hadn't really cared to look at them, the way in which they were planted holding no importance or chance for interpretation. They seemed to only be there for appearances which she wouldn't criticize, but it wasn't really her style. She could hear muffled music from behind the two large doors in front of her as she stood there, waiting for her name to be verified on the guest list.

"Kim Bora?" A deep voice asked for confirmation. She nodded with a small smile. "And what are you interested in tonight?"

"The item Cobra is selling," she replied kindly yet confidently. 

"Alright," the man dragged a red marker across a piece of paper. "As always, please leave any rivalries at the door and have a good time. The auction will begin at nine, which gives you a little under two hours. Lastly, may I see your wrist?"

Bora lifted her hand up, watching as the presumed security guy reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a black plastic bracelet, strapping it on her wrist securely. "We require all guests to wear these so we know if someone got in that wasn't supposed to." He stepped aside from the door, gesturing for Bora to walk in. "Good luck and have fun."

With a polite nod, Bora opened the door. "Thank you."

As soon as she walked through the tall oak doors, the muffled music clearly swarmed her ears. It was standard (modern) masquerade music, ranging from R&B to techno. As her eyes scanned the ridiculously large room, she was relieved to find that she wasn't _too_ over dressed, which was a concern of hers. Bora had decided on a short, tight red dress that complimented the red mask along with crimson lace elbow-length gloves. Her height was generously offered an extra four inches with the black heels she decided on wearing, giving her the height she wished she had. Despite her worries of being over dressed, it seemed she fit right in, dresses being the most common choice by the women she had seen. Everyone had on either half of full faced masquerade masks as her partner had informed her, making it easy to spot the security men who didn't have that.

Conversing with these people was something Bora had no interest in, though she wanted to fit in to play her role a little better. With her experience of previous outings, it was a simple recipe to get people talking to you, especially if you're a lone woman. Taking her first few steps forward, Bora gently weaved her way through the sea of people, finding a bar on the opposite end of the room. She didn't plan on drinking more than a glass or two, but that wasn't why she was headed that way in the first place. To get men to talk to you first, the quickest way is to go to the bar by yourself. Often times, that's when they get the most courage, as they can see you're away from any friends you might be with. Walking up to the counter, Bora rested her hands on the white granite countertop, the bartender seeing her and coming her direction.

"What would you like today ma'am?"

Bora hummed for a moment, her usual go to just being a simple beer or round of shots. She figured that now, she should order something more classy. "I'll take a glass of champagne."

The bartender nodded, turning around and getting her drink ready. Bora took the time to look around the room, getting the general feel of the crowd. It was overall more friendly than she had imagined, people talking and laughing amongst each other as if it were a normal party. It wouldn't be too hard to fit in, her extroverted side giving her an edge on these sort of missions. A small clink next to her grabbed her attention again, Bora turning back to the bartender. 

"Enjoy."

She smiled with a small thanks, taking the glass and spinning around before almost running right into someone. "Pardon me," she heard a male voice, along with a soft hand on her shoulder. Under normal circumstances she'd push it off, but for tonight she'd deal with it.

"Sorry," she chuckled as if she were slightly tipsy already, playing the role of a clumsy woman who needed a man's 'help'. "I guess I didn't see you there."

"It's no problem," he smiled. Bora studied his masculine face, a sharp jawline with fierce, slanted eyes. "Actually, it was my fault. I was going to approach you, but at the last moment, you turned around."

A confident smirk lightly pulled at her lips, already getting what she wanted. "Oh?" She tilted her head with innocence. "How many girls were before me?"

"None," he dipped his head with fake modesty, a small laugh leaving his throat. "You're the only woman who has caught my eye tonight."

"Im flattered," Bora smiled shyly. 

He stepped beside her, leaning against the bar countertop. "Are you alone tonight, might I ask?"

Bora hummed for a moment, studying his body language. "If I'm interested in you, am I alone?"

A blush crawled it's way on his cheeks as he smiled, Bora feeling the satisfaction all too well. "You're a very alluring woman, would it be possible for a name?"

"We'll see how the night goes," she winked, tipping her head back as she lifted the champagne glass to her lips.

Bora didn't know how much time had passed. If you had asked her, she'd say years. In reality, it was probably only an hour or so. She had forgotten how boring narcissistic men were, having to listen to the man in front of her brag about various things. The only thing that would help the grueling task was alcohol, but unfortunately, she had already drank two glasses of champagne. She was sure that if she drank anymore, she'd be scolded by _someone_ in particular. Bora had no doubt her partner was keeping a close eye on her, but she had yet to see her. Not that it mattered since they couldn't talk anyway, but still, Bora wouldn't mind just having the knowledge that the girl was in fact here. 

"So anyway, that's how I was promoted recently."

Bora's eyes slowly drifted back to the man in front of her with uninterest, though that emotion wasn't showing. Instead, she raised her eyebrows as if she were surprised, hiding the fact she'd rather fall asleep than listen to him talk anymore.

"Wow," she nodded with parted lips. "You're really interesting. Was the promotion everything you hoped for?"

As the question left her lips, Bora let her focus drift away again. That was the beauty of narcissists, all you have to do is ask questions about themselves and they'll carry the conversation for you. They're too caught up in their own made up movie, painting themselves as the main character to realize you're not even listening. It made things easy at least, Bora only having to listen every now and then to figure out what she'd ask next. Her eyes very lazily scanned the masked crowd, wondering if there was anyone that she might want to have some fun with. She studied the women carefully, finding some interesting but not captivating her interest enough to make the effort in getting up. 

Her gaze slowly dragged to the left, almost giving up hope before getting caught on a taller girl in the distance. Bora's eyebrows raised with interest as she found the familiar expressionless black mask fixed on a head of long raven hair. Bora's eyes gradually made their way down her body, finding a slim black suit tailored perfectly to her taller structure, a white dress shirt with a black tie underneath the black blazer. Bora bit her lower lip unconsciously as she watched the girl who she observed as her partner walking across the room, her straight and perfect posture exuding a sense of modesty yet confidence at the same time. Her hands were politely held behind her back as she followed a woman in front of her, nodding her head every few moments. Bora figured the girl probably kept silent in events like these, as she remembered she rarely talked before they decided on a temporary alliance. It gave her a mysterious atmosphere, and maybe that's one of the things that attracted Bora from the very moment they met, besides her unique fighting style.

Bora didn't even know how long she'd been watching her, the world around them seemingly pausing as if it were the respectable thing to do. As the bodies around her seemed to slowly begin to resume, Bora figured she should probably pull her eyes away. Right before she readjusted her gaze, the black mask across the room suddenly began to turn in her direction, stopping as it met Bora's direct and indulgent eyes. She felt vibrant hues trickle back into the dull grayscale party, meeting the girl's imaginary gaze. The spark of excitement, gratification and pleasure just from a single action coursed through her body, feelings so easily triggered that Bora had a hard time feeling before this week happened. 

"So that's how my first mission went, I ended up doing better than my mentors, and-"

Bora brought her focus back to the man in front of her, the world rotating at it's normal speed again. She was honestly tired of hearing him talk even if it was background noise at this point.

"Do you know where the bathroom is?" She interrupted, his eyebrows furrowing for a moment.

"Sure, I know this place really well." He pointed behind him at a hallway near where Bora had noticed her partner standing. "It's that way down the hall and to the right."

Shaking her head, Bora let a certain darkness pool in her eyes. "I didn't mean for me to go there alone," she dropped her voice, adding a sultry tone to it.

She watched as his eyes widened, a smirk forming on his lips. "I see," he held out his arm. "Then let me walk you there, my lady."

Reluctantly taking his arm with an internal grimace, Bora put on her best fake smile and clung to his arm. They weaved their way through the crowd, walking past a grand piano that most definitely looked like someone had spilled a little wine on. The hallway was finally visible, and they were almost there before Bora saw her partner only a small distance away. She knew she had seen her by the way the mask tilted in her direction, so she slid her small, expensive purse off her shoulder and "accidentally" dropped it as they walked by.

"Oh," Bora stopped, pulling the man's arm with her from the sudden lack of momentum. "One second, I dropped something."

She saw her partner instantly move forward, bending down to pick up what she had dropped. Bora crouched down as well, moving her hands to help. "Thank you so much," she said out loud before lowering her voice to a whisper.

Leaning closer to the agent, Bora slowly slipped her fingers around the purse strap. "Call me in exactly two minutes and thirty seconds."

Gripping her purse, Bora stood up, taking the arm of the man she was with again. "Sorry," she giggled. "I guess I had a little too much already if I'm dropping things."

"Not a problem," he reassured before resuming their walk. 

Bora memorized the hallway as they walked, not that it was hard in the first place. Before all of this, she had studied the blueprints her partner had made her. They had only passed a couple doors and taken one turn before reaching the bathroom. The man opened the door for them, gesturing in. 

"Ladies first," a smile played on his lips, Bora wanting nothing more than to just roll her eyes. 

She stepped in with a small thank you, setting her purse on the marble countertop and turning around. As soon as the door shut, Bora took a step forward, instantly closing the gap between her and the man as he took off his mask. Bora didn't bother looking at his exposed face, not really caring to. She pressed her body against his, taking his lips against her own but letting him control the pace for the feeling of fake dominance and control. She felt rough lips move against hers, the feeling not being good at all. Hands gripped her side, the touch being greedy rather than sensual. Bora suddenly remembered the hand that softly held and explored her waist the night before, how good it felt to feel the warmth against her skin. She compared those soft, inviting lips to the rough and out of rhythm ones against her own right now, the difference being day and night. There was no pleasure at all, the main feeling she had was boredom and disgust. 

Bora wanted it to be over already, as it was getting hard to fake with each second that passed. She could feel him start to get too into it, his hand slowly making it's way up to her breast. She wanted to pull back, to stop, but she couldn't yet. Her lips were starting to hesitate as the hand was getting closer and closer, her body wanting to recoil out of disgust. Just as fingers were about to reach their destination, a phone suddenly began to ring, interrupting the quiet bathroom. Bora instantly pulled back, trying to hide her relief. The man slowly opened his eyes as if he were just in a dream, the look in them telling Bora she did well enough.

Going through her purse, Bora dug out her phone, pretending to glance at the caller id. "I should probably take this," she said with a fake pout, the man groggily nodding.

"I'll meet you back in the main room," he smiled before slipping out of the door. Bora let out a relieved breath, though the unpleasant taste still lingering on her lips. Tapping on the answer button, she brought the phone up to her ear.

"You were late," she scolded jokingly, the voice on the other end almost hard to hear due to the music.

"Three seconds late," the girl muttered. 

Bora couldn't help the soft smile that pulled at her lips upon hearing her voice, something about it washing away any memory of what had just happened a moment ago.

"Three seconds too long," Bora sighed, remembering how those extra three seconds felt like a lifetime with her lips against someone she didn't like.

"You sound a little out of breath, should I ask?"

"Are you curious?"

A quiet chuckle left Bora's lips as the only answer she got was a low buzzing on the other end, indicating the girl had hung up. "Not one for the clichés," she smiled to herself as she slid her phone back into her purse.

Putting it back over her shoulder, Bora opened the bathroom door, slipping out and looking around. The hallway was thankfully empty, her temporary party boyfriend not waiting for her outside. Running a hand through her hair, Bora walked down the hallway, stopping at the nearest door. She gently checked the door handle, seeing if it was locked or not. According to the blueprints, this was just one of the bedrooms. Seeing that the door was unlocked, Bora quietly pushed it open, the light from the hallway scarcely lighting up the smaller room. She walked in, closed the door behind her and turned on the light. 

Everything seemed normal, a king sized bed on the back wall with a couple nightstands. The covers were neatly made, looking like it hadn't been used in a while. She made her way over to one of the nightstands, opening the drawer but finding nothing in them. It almost felt like a hotel room, how everything was empty and clean. She inspected the top of the nightstand, seeing a thin layer of dust. Walking over to the other one, Bora opened the drawer, and again, there was nothing. She was about to turn around before noticing something on the top of it, a few streaks through the dust like bearclaw marks against a tree. Her fingers spread out, placing each one where the five streaks were, following the direction. The way it tapered off at the end gave it a feeling that the person fell back somehow, therefore their hand flying up towards the ceiling. It most definitely had to be recent, seeing as it made it's own trail through the dust. 

Bora frowned, slowy turning around and walking aimlessly throughout the room. Her eyes fell on another door, figuring it could either be a closet or bathroom, Bora decided to see for herself. Opening the door, her eyes widened as she found a body crammed into the small closet. She quickly bent down, inspecting the dead man. He had on a mask, clearly the same kind that everyone was wearing for the masquerade. His neck was bruised, Bora guessing he died from suffocation. It definitely happened tonight, and not more than an hour ago. The question was who did it and whether or not Laurent knew about it. Obviously he didn't or else the body probably wouldn't have been hidden.

Standing up, Bora closed the door before walking to the exit. She turned off the lights, peeking out into the hallway. Not seeing anyone, she swiftly left the room, closing the door behind her. Bora bit her lower lip in thought, theorizing on what might have happened back there. It didn't make sense, unless the person was killed for being a potential outbidder of a wanted item. She wanted to consult her partner, wanting her input as much as her own. Obviously she couldn't, as they weren't supposed to publicly talk to each other. Though there was an unsettling feeling she felt, like there was something she wasn't looking at properly. A misstep, or a miscalculation. A mistake.

"Hey," a deep, stern voice suddenly caught her attention. "What are you doing back here?"

Bora froze, looking up to see one of the security guards down the hallway, walking towards her. "I was looking for the bathroom," she laughed nervously.

"The bathroom?"

Bora nodded despite knowing she was past it. She couldn't blow her cover and ruin the whole plan. Unconsciously holding her breath, Bora stood still as he stopped in front of her, seemingly investigating her. 

"Let me see your wrist," he ordered, and Bora obliged, lifting her hand. He checked it over before nodding. 

"The bathroom is there," he pointed behind them. "Don't get lost next time."

"I won't, thank you very much." 

Bora walked in the direction of the bathroom, pausing at the door as he disappeared down the hallway. A relieved breath left her lips, closing her eyes for a moment to regain her composure. Putting her confident face back on, Bora went back to the main room, the music becoming louder with each step she took. It was a slower song, and as she turned the corner, she saw a lot of people dancing with each other. The sight was weird, knowing that most of these people would murder each other under normal circumstances. Maybe they all viewed it as a night to just have a forbidden experience. Taking a few steps forward, Bora felt an arm isntantly wrap around hers, the contact making her jump.

"Did I scare you?" The man she was with before chuckled, the voice being one that she wasn't excited to hear again.

"A little," she smiled politely. "But I don't mind being scared by you."

He grinned, pulling Bora to the dancefloor. "Care to dance?"

She wanted to say no, at least not with him. "I'd love to," she agreed, feeling a hand rest on her shoulder. 

They fell into a slow rhythm, Bora very reluctantly putting her chin on his shoulder to play along. At least he smelled good, that was about the only decent thing she could say about the entire night with him. But the important part was that she fit in right now, just another person in the crowd. Or so she thought, because as they gradually turned together, Bora suddenly felt eyes on her. She lifted her gaze without moving her chin off his shoulder, finding the source of the feeling. Her eyes met the interrupted eyes of the familiar black mask from across the room, the girl watching her carefully. Bora noticed a woman was talking to her, but she clearly wasn't listening. A smile formed on her lips, a thrill filling her body knowing how she had the girl's attention. She wanted to be with her right now, not the man she's attached to.

Bora could only imagine the reactions she'd get out of the girl if they danced together. It was almost like she could feel it already, the ghost of her partner's hands on her back, pulling her closer to their moving bodies. Bora's hands unconciously gripped the dress shirt she was holding onto, so deep in thought about a completely different person than who she was against. Her eyes wouldn't leave the masked girl from across the room, and she wasn't the only one who seemed to be in their own world. The black mask hadn't left her body, the stare looking so calm and steady.

"Do you need something?" She felt lips close to her ears, pulling her out of whatever trance she was in.

A surprised breath left her throat as she glanced to the left, seeing how close he was. Bora realized how her hands were still gripping his shirt tightly, probably giving off the wrong idea.

"No," she chucked lightly. "Just a little tipsy."

"I see."

Bora moved her gaze back to where she was looking previously, but the girl was gone, the spot she was standing empty. She internally pouted, her fingers gradually releasing the shirt she was holding onto. The dance felt like it was going on forever, but the music finally fell off, indicating the end of the song. She dropped her arms off the guy, taking a small step back and forcing a smile on her face. 

"Thank you for the dance."

He nodded with a small smirk. "My pleasure. I have to use the restroom, I'll be back later."

_Thank God,_ Bora wanted to say but held herself back. "Take your time."

She watched as he walked away, disappearing into the crowd of people. Bora felt extremely relieved, not having him so close. The music didn't continue to play, and everyone around her seemed to stop what they were doing as if waiting for something. And she'd be right, because a voice suddenly came through the speakers, the noise startling Bora.

"Good evening everyone." It was a smooth male voice, almost like sliding off the tongue of a serpent. Confident and slimy. "We will begin the auction now, as I'm sure you've all been waiting for. The main event, some would say. We'll announce each item as it's turn arrives, and those who are interested in it should stand in the front."

It seemed everyone around her already knew how this went down, some talking to each other off to the side. "For the first item, we'll be starting with seven untrackable bombs."

Bora watched as eleven people shuffled their way to the front, the voice coming back once they had taken their places. She leaned to the right a bit, trying to see the front of the room through a sea of heads. There were three security men standing at the front, one of them holding a box which she presumed was the item. Obviously this had to be more of a ticket or something, as having seven bombs in a place like this wouldn't be ideal. The auctioning began, the voice through the speakers throwing out a starting price.

"We will now begin at $50,000."

"$100,000," somebody instantly raised, but it was quickly met by another voice.

"$150,000."

"$250,000!"

"$300,000."

The bidding went back and forth for a while, Bora almost feeling dizzy from it. She tuned it out, not caring about what price it would settle at. Bombs weren't really her style, and she found them to be more of a cowards choice than anything. She yawned slightly, hearing a finalization on the offers.

"Going once, going twice, sold!"

She watched carefully as a man went up near the security guards, one of them walking him to the hallway on the left. The man disappeared from her vision, but the guard came back, so she figured it was probably an assembly line of sorts. According to her partner, once you win you're taken to the basement to receive the item you're paying for. After that, Bora didn't have a clue what would happen.

She zoned out for probably half an hour, all the things she didn't care about being sold. She wondered where her partner was, annoyed that she couldn't at least make herself a little more visible. Letting out a small sigh, Bora closed her eyes before hearing something that caught her attention.

"And the next item is being sold by Cobra, I'm sure we all know what it is."

Footsteps near the front echoed in the big room, Bora trying to get into a position where she could see. Sure enough, there was the masked girl, standing in the middle of the security guys with a box in her hand.

"The item is what we call AV21, or rather, a flash drive," the voice through the speakers continued. "Containing a new poison or serum, this specific kind is made to force the truth out of somebody, the poison attacking their brain in specific areas. We'll be starting the bid at $500,000."

Bora swallowed heavily, the price tag already starting off so high. Still, she made her way to the front of the room, placing herself in front of the crowd. She glanced at her partner though not for long, not wanting to look obvious or anything. Listening for the bids, Bora would wait until there was a pause to put in her own.

"$900,000," a man next to her spoke up.

Parting her lips, Bora cleared her throat. "$1,000,000."

The bid went back and forth like a tennis ball, Bora playing along with the game in hopes that it would slow down. "$3,500,000."

"$4,000,000."

"$4,500,000."

Finally, it stated to taper off, a pause coming with each new bid. "$5,000,000." It was only down to three people now, Bora and two other men on her left.

"$5,300,000."

"$5,600,000."

One tapped out, leaving only two people. Bora let out a small breath, placing another bid. "$6,000,000."

She could tell he was seriously contemplating it, the auctioneer having to give a countdown. "Going once.. Going-"

"$6,200,000." 

Bora knew she had won, that bet sounding like his last offer. Deciding it was time to put the nail in the coffin, Bora made her final offer.

"$7,000,000."

Seven million, the number she couldn't go over, and the number that was holding everything together by a thin string. There was silence after that, waiting for a counter bid but not getting one. 

"Going once..." The voice continued, almost achingly slow. Bora needed it to hurry up, to confirm their chance at this. "Going twice..."

She unconsciously held her breath, her heart beating faster than usual. Her eyes shifted to her partner for comfort and reassurance, however, this time she saw the girl was just as nervous by the way she was pinching the skin on the back of her hand. Bora bit her lower lip, waiting for the final word to seal the deal.

"Sol-"

"$7,500,000."

Everything around Bora froze and seemingly collapsed, and it wasn't just because of a higher bid. No, it was much more than that. Something she never accounted for, something that sent a chill throughout her spine. The voice wasn't just some random voice in the crowd, it was a sinister, almost cocky one. A voice that she had hated for years, still hating it to this day. It was him, it had to be. Bora wouldn't mistake that annoying, snarky voice anywhere, as it had bossed her around for far too long.

_Wooseok._

She saw the girl freeze as well, Bora assuming it was only due to the fact that they got outbid rather than the person themself. Before she could calm down, the auctioneer started giving her a countdown, throwing her back into the world.

"Going once,"

Bora couldn't lose. She wouldn't let all of this go to waste, and she didn't want to let her partner down. Bora knew how important this was to her, and whether her intentions were pure or not didn't register in Bora's mind anymore. There was no way she'd lose to Wooseok either, especially not when she could tell he was eyeing her with a smirk as if he had already won. Letting out a small breath, Bora responded to the higher bid. 

"$8,500,000."

It was now or never, and she might as well go all in. But what surprised her was the lack of response. She expected him to immediately counter, his funds being much greater than her own. So when the auctioneer continued his countdown, Bora began to feel anxiety rise, wondering if there was an ulterior motive here.

"Going once, going twice... Sold!"

Now Bora was sure it should have felt like a good thing that she won, but as she glanced to her right, she saw Wooseok smiling at her. She didn't have time to talk to him, having to go up to the front. 

"Congratulations," she heard a security guard say. "Please follow me and we'll get the payment sorted."

Bora followed, noticing her partner following as well. They walked side by side, neither of them saying a word or acknowledging each other's existence. They walked through a long hallway, taking a couple turns before stopping in front of a door. A security guard opened it, having them follow him down the stairs. The basement was just as beautiful as the upstairs, slightly surprising Bora. White walls with expensive looking furniture everywhere, along with a huge mounted tv on the far wall. They walked past it all, down a hallway with only a single door at the end. Stopping in front of it, Bora watched as the security guard knocked before the door opened.

"Come in."

The two of them walked in, the door closing behind them. Bora didn't like the trapped feeling at all, not having a good escape route. The first thing she noticed was the barren room, the flooring only being concrete along with the walls. There was nothing in it besides a lightbulb hanging from the ceiling, and two men in front of them. One was security, and the other was in a suit, back turned to them. Bora's eyes widened, already recognizing the clothing and dark hair. Her lips parted as be turned around without a mask, eyes directly falling on her.

"Glad to see you again dear," he smiled, though his speaking voice was much different than earlier. It was the same guy she was with all night to fit in, she was sure of it. "My name is Laurent, but I'll let you call me Jun as a thank you for the fun night."

Bora froze, not having any idea she has danced and practically made out with the host of the party. Maybe that's why her partner was staring at her when she was with him. Although no one else seemed to notice it was him, so maybe not. He seemed like a completely different person than earlier, and maybe that was the point. Because now that Bora thought about it, he already knew all the answers to the questions she had asked, like what's your name, are you here alone, etc.

"I was wondering where you went after going to the restroom," she smiled, remembering he never returned. 

Jun nodded with a smirk, his eyes greedily sliding all over Bora's body. "As you can see, I had to get ready for the auction." He took a step closer to her, not that far away to begin with. "But I'd like to make up for the lost time."

She watched as his hand slowly lifted, moving straight towards her. Bora couldn't move, as she didn't want to make him mad through rejection. They needed this trade to go through, and he seems like the type of man who throws a fit if he doesn't get what he wants. But even still, Bora felt a sick feeling as his fingers inched closer and closer, as if moving in slow motion. She wondered if he just didn't care about the fact that there were other people in the room. Either way, it wasn't a problem for Bora in that aspect. She could put on a show if need be. Anything to get the flash drive in their possession, she'd do.

Just as fingertips were about to brush over her chest, his hand suddenly stopped, a black gloved hand snapping around his wrist tightly. Bora's eyes widened as she stared down, following the arm of the gloved hand back to the girl next to her. However, her gaze wasn't on Bora, it was aimed exactly towards Jun, who seemed to be frozen in place for a moment. Bora was sure this wasn't part of the plan. In fact, if there was a "what not to do" list for the night, this would have definitely made it in the top three. And what bothered her more about it was the fact that her partner did it, jeopardizing the mission after getting so far, and for no reason at all.

The silence was finally broken, the soft and smooth voice behind the black mask making it's appearance for the first time tonight.

"Please don't touch my potential buyer."

It was said in a firm tone, almost as if challenging him to do so. "This is an auction, not a matchmaking simulator. Let her pay so I can leave."

It didn't happen often, but Bora was left speechless. She wouldn't be surprised if her jaw was on the floor from the shock and slight terror. There had to be some reason Bora wasn't aware of as to why the girl suddenly did that, because nothing she could think of made sense. However, whatever the reason, Bora found it a little exciting. 

"I see," Jun finally spoke, dropping his hand away. "Well if it's Cobra rules, then I'll wait to have my fun."

Bora let out a breath of relief as he stepped back, motioning the security guard with the box forward. He opened it carefully, tilting to let Bora see inside. Her eyes fell on the small object, the same flash drive she'd been in search for until a week ago. 

"Everything look good?" Jun asked, and Bora nodded. "Good, then let's talk payment."

"I'd like to use two accounts," Bora spoke as she pulled out the phone her partner had given her. "Routing number?"

She typed in the number that was repeated to her, sending $7,000,000 off that phone before pulling out her own. The remaining $1,500,000 would be taken out of her own account, since she had made the decision to bid past their initial amount. Once the payments were sent, Bora waited as Jun checked his bank account. Her eyes drifted beside her, finding the masked girl looking at her. She felt a smile pull at her lips but instantly disguised it, turning back forward.

"Alright," Jun nodded, pocketing his phone. He looked at the girl next to her, pointing in her direction. "I've sent Cobra's share of the money to the bank given by your boss, so everything is complete."

The man that was holding the flashdrive held it over for Bora to take out of the box, her fingers finally holding the object that they had been wanting. It was small and delicate against her palm, fingers closing down on it safely and putting it in her purse. 

"You guys are free to go, and thank you for attending."

Bora gave a polite bow before turning for the door. She could feel eyes on her with each step she took, like they were burning a hole through her body. It was definitely Jun, and she wondered if he would actually let her go so easily or would try to find her again later tonight. It didn't matter in the end, Bora not wanting to spend anymore time in this place. She had what she needed, and now she desperately wanted to leave before anything could go wrong. There were still unknown variables, such as why Wooseok just stopped bidding, and the fact that there was a dead body in one of the rooms. Bora hasn't had time to figure any of that out, and the longer they stayed in the shark infested waters, the better chance of something happening. 

She could feel her partner's presence behind her as they walked through the basement and up the stairs. Bora opened the door, waiting for the girl to walk through before closing it. They seemed to be alone in the hallway, though Bora could still hear the auction going on out in the main room. She took a step forward, going her own way from the agent to further keep up appearances, but a hand on her wrist stopped her, pulling her back with force.

Bora didn't even have time to blink before she was suddenly in a dark room, the door closing behind her. "What the hell?" She turned around, looking for the girl but couldn't see her. "Can you at least turn on the light?"

She heard the light switch flick on and off, but no light emitted from the ceiling. "Seems broken."

"Great," Bora muttered, still confused as to what they were doing. "So why-"

"Don't even ask why," the girl cut her off, her tone sounding mad for reasons Bora had no idea of. "I told you to stop at seven million, and you went past it."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What?" She laughed with a scoff. "Are you serious right now? We were going to lose to Wooseok." Bora suddenly realized her partner probably had no idea what Wooseok sounded like, so she couldn't have known. "Wooseok is my boss, he's the one who tried to counter offer me."

"I know."

Bora noticed how her voice sounded progressively more upset, despite only saying two words. "If you know then what the fuck are you so mad for? We won, this is what you wanted."

"No, I didn't want you using your own money. I don't need your handouts."

The dark room wasn't helping the confusing atmosphere, their emotions solely coming from their lips. Bora had no idea what was going on, as it seemed like an unsual thing to get mad over. She thought she had started to understand what made the agent tick, but this was new. It was like she was mad at Bora for helping, or maybe, there was a hidden reason. And Bora guessed that if there was, then the girl probably wasn't even aware of it herself.

"Let's just go home," she suggested honestly, wanting to diffuse the situation before it got worse. "We have what we need."

She heard a sigh from behind the mask, despite not being able to see very well. "We can't. We need to wait until the auction is done."

"And how much longer is that?" 

"Probably only twenty minutes I'd guess. We'll just stay in the crowd until then."

Bora could hear the girl shift, walking towards the door. It was the most safe option, but Bora found she couldn't move, or rather she didn't want to move. The whole night, she had been thinking about the girl in front of her, and Bora didn't want to go back to being temporary strangers just yet. "Wait," she called out, hearing her stop. "You scolded me for doing nothing wrong, so let me scold you for a moment."

She took a few steps forward until she could see the outline of the agent again, something in Bora feeling comfortable with the close proximity. "You want to talk about how I offered more money than we agreed, but what's your excuse for stopping Jun from touching me?" The last part quietly rolled off her tongue as she tilted her head, curious to hear what the girl had to say.

"You're overthinking it." 

"Am I?" Bora found herself smiling, the way in which the girl paused before answering telling her it was a lie. "It was a pretty bold move, and I was okay with him touching me if it meant we got the trade done."

A bitter chukle left the agent's lips. "No you weren't. I saw your eyes, Bora. They were screaming for him to stop. Don't act like you're okay with that because it helps the mission." The girl's voice got progressively unstable, each word holding a certain bitterness to it. "You did it all night, didn't you? Let me guess, you were kissing him when you made me call you."

Bora's lips parted, unable to find any word to say. Was she worried about her? She sounded so affected, and Bora wasn't expecting any of this at all. She thought she had done well, and that maybe the girl would be proud of her for compromising and completing the mission. Her fingers curled up into her palm, digging against the soft skin. It was like anything she ever did was wrong, and the worst part is is that she can't even be mad right now. 

"You're right," she exhaled sharply through her nose. "I did kiss him, but I don't get how that affects you in anyway." Bora bit her lower lip, doing what she was best at and testing the waters. "Unless you're jealous."

There was no answer, a blanket of silence falling over them in the quiet room. "If that's the case," she lowered her voice to a whisper, only for the two of them to hear. "Then you should know that I thought about you the entire time, and how I wished it was your lips against mine instead."

The girl sighed, Bora knowing that meant she thought she was only teasing. And though she was, it was also serious. "Even during a night like this you still have it in you," she heard the agent mumble.

"I'm serious," Bora started to take a few steps closer. "We have twenty minutes. Let me show you how much I wished it was you-"

Her foot caught something that she couldn't see thanks to the dark room, her body helplessly falling forward. Bora couldn’t even register what had happened before she crashed down. Her knees hit the floor, and she was sure her upper body was next to follow, however the crash never came. Instead, Bora felt fingers tightly wrap around her waist, her hands falling against sturdy shoulders underneath her. Bora’s eyes widened as she stared down, her face not too far from the familiar black mask. It was only then did Bora realize she was practically on top of the agent, her knees on either side of her hips, the girl holding her up by the waist. The surprise in her eyes quickly faded before being replaced by a curious-like gaze. It felt like she couldn’t speak, yet she also found it odd that the girl underneath her wasn’t saying anything yet. It was like they both fell into a silence, daring the other to break it first. She could hear the taller girl’s quiet breathing behind the mask, and Bora wanted to get rid of the divider that blocked her from feeling the warm breath against her skin.

“Why aren’t you moving?” She heard the agent finally speak up, but there was something about her voice that was different. It was flustered, almost, and Bora found it entirely too interesting.

“What?” Bora tilted her head with a small smirk. “Move against you?”

“Bora,” she heard the girl almost growl, sounding breathless at the same time. Hearing her say her name in itself was something that sent electricity down Bora’s spine, but the way she almost had to choke it out made Bora almost reel from the sudden feeling in her stomach. 

Her smirk fell into a ghost of a smile, staring down intensely with slightly parted lips. Her body was starting to feel extremely hot, and for once she wanted the girl to reciprocate something. Until now, Bora was fine with just teasing her. But now felt different, and maybe that was because in the back of her mind, she knew her time with the agent was coming to an end. Bora almost couldn’t take the desperate warmth pooling into her abdomen. She wanted to hear the agent be truthful. She wanted her to take control for once.

“If you don’t want this,” Bora’s voice fell low as she whispered airily. “Then I’ll get off.”

She was leaving it up to the agent. Bora could lie and say it was the alcohol that was affecting her, but it wasn’t. And maybe if it were a few months ago, she would lie to herself. But she finally understood now. This wasn’t just a spur of the moment feeling, and her love for teasing the girl wasn’t just for the sake of a reaction. Well, it partly was, but there was more to it. Bora wanted her touch. To have the girl vulnerable around her, to have her trust, to have her attention. It was everything that Bora wanted. The tension she felt was unbearable as she waited for a response. 

“Is it wrong to feel like this?” She asked thoughtfully, never pulling her eyes away from the black mask. It was a question she thought about often. Maybe she was touch deprived, and Bora had always been a needy person in that department. But that couldn’t be the answer, because even when she did have a one night stand, it never satisfied her anymore like it used to. Maybe it’s because she likes getting people to want her, and the fact that this girl almost never entertained her made the challenge tempting and more desirable.

The hands gripping her waist hesitantly moved before stopping, not leaving their claimed territory. Bora’s mind suddenly trailed back to earlier, how the taller girl protectively grabbed the man’s wrist before being able to touch her. The display surprised Bora more than she thought, especially because it could have ruined the trade and everything they had worked for. That move wasn’t under the context of acting, it was made with impulse. 

“Say it,” Bora pressed forward, the silence starting to drive her crazy. “I’ll get off if you say you don’t like this.”

“I…” Her voice was strong at first before quickly trailing off. 

It was one of the very few times Bora had heard her sound so conflicted and so hesitant. And though she wanted to move on her own, she wouldn’t take it any further until the girl gave her verbal permission. Lifting her hand off her shoulder, Bora stretched her fingers out, gently dragging across the jawline of the mask. She let them explore the black divider, feeling the agent tense underneath her. 

“Relax,” she moved her lips reassuringly. “I’m not going to take it off.” 

A part of Bora felt slightly sad at the way the girl didn’t relax underneath her. She thought they had built more trust in the past week, but she guessed not. Still, her eyes stayed glued to the mask, brushing over all the intricacies. It felt like a blank canvas, and Bora wondered if that was the point. All the small cracks and chips, it held the story of somebody, yet seemingly no one at all. It was almost like a book; up to the reader’s observations and perceptions. Now that Bora thought about it, she didn’t even know how she perceived the person under her. Probably because not only was there a physical mask in the way, but there was also a mental mask. Bora had seen it slip a little more recently, but for the most part, she could tell the girl tried to hide her caring side. It didn’t feel like it was fair to have a perception if she hasn’t seen everything.

“Why aren’t you taking it off?”

Bora could think of hundreds of responses to tease her, but she knew what she meant. “Well for one, I know you’d stop me before I could. Two, I already told you. I’ll take it off when I win.”

“You still want to kill me?”

Bora furrowed her eyebrows. “Don’t you?”

There was a silence before the taller girl spoke. “Of course.”

A smirk lightly pulled at Bora’s lips, though she didn’t know why it didn’t feel authentic. “Then play with me before this is all over.”

Something felt bitter as those last words left her mouth. All over. Bora often found it hard to remember that this partnership wasn’t going to last for much longer, and something in her chest felt tight. This is what she wanted, right? They had their fun, and they worked together with a common interest. That was all, and Bora was sure she was okay with that. Or maybe not.

Before Bora could even react, the girl underneath her had thrown her to the side off her lap. “Honestly you already talk too much as it is,” the agent spoke as she stood up, dusting off her pants. “But you really shouldn’t speak when you’re turned on.”

Bora frowned as she stood up as well. “Why?”

“Because you say and do things that you’ll regret.”

It made sense to Bora now, why the girl would never reciprocate anything or entertain her. Well, kind of made sense. Either the agent just honestly didn’t like her, or it was her extremely subtle way of caring about Bora, not wanting to cross boundaries that probably should never be crossed in the first place. But Bora always hated boundaries. 

“I’m completely coherent,” Bora argued. “I’m not drunk or something.”

“Are you coherent?” The girl shot back, surprising Bora. She was so used to seeing her calm and quiet, so her outbursts never failed to surprise her. “One second you’re talking about wanting to kill me, and the next you’re begging me to touch you. And even then, how am I supposed to know if that’s what you really want? Nothing you ever say is serious.”

Bora didn’t respond for a moment, honestly not knowing how to. There was a feeling of frustration in the girl’s voice, like this was something that was bothering her for a long time. Bora almost felt bad, wondering if she was the cause of all this distress. She took a step closer, unsure of her own movements at this point.

“If the only thing that’s holding you back is the uncertainty of me being serious or not, does that mean you want to touch me?”

“I never said that.”

“You don’t have to.”

Bora already saw the way the girl’s hands were balled into fists, as if forcefully holding them back. And it seemed that restraint broke, because the previously clenched fist was now wrapped around Bora’s throat, gripping it tightly.

“I think you’re getting too comfortable,” the girl said threateningly, but Bora wasn’t scared. Maybe they had made a little progress since their first meeting.

“It’s too late to act like you don’t care,” Bora answered back against the fingers around her neck. She could feel the small trembles in the hand, and she could hear the lack of conviction in her voice. “We’re both too far in already.”

She had no idea what that meant despite saying it herself, but it was true. The teasing that Bora enjoyed inflicting upon the agent was only that- just teasing. But this past week, it turned into something less than teasing, and took on the strong form of honest desire. Bora didn’t even know when that had happened. She wouldn’t ponder it because emotions were hard, and if she didn’t have a hard time deciphering her own, then she probably wouldn’t even be in this mess. She would have killed the agent the first time they met.

The tension Bora felt from the fingers that were digging into her neck was starting to make her squirm, unable to stand still. “Please,” she whispered desperately. “We only have tonight.”

The hand that was around her neck slowly released it's grip, dropping aimlessly back to the girl's side. "Is this what you do?" She spoke almost as if a part of her had just broken. "Create fake feelings for anyone you meet only to abandon them when the time comes? Use them so you don't feel so lonely?"

"What?" Bora narrowed her eyes, completely lost as to what was going on. "What are you talking about? _You're_ the one who told me we go our own ways after this."

"Are you saying you'd stay even if that wasn't the case?"

Bora was hit with a sense of realization as she tried to answer. "I..." She couldn't finish because she already knew the answer.

"Exactly," the agent chuckled humorlessly. "I guess it's just who you are."

"Stop talking like you know anything about me," Bora's hands balled into fists. Frustration instantly built inside of her, mixed with guilt. The way the girl was talking made her think about what happened with Siyeon. "You're always talking about abandonment like I'm the one who abandoned you. I don't know shit about your past. I'm sorry if something like that happened, but even if it did and that's how you fell to Cobra, you need to let it go. Whoever abandoned you, forget them already. You're only giving them power and attention by holding onto what happened."

Bora took a deep breath, trying to calm her voice. "But stop projecting onto me as if I'm the one who hurt you. Because I..." She remembered how she woke up this morning, arms wrapped securely around her waist. It already felt like it happened weeks ago. "I want to help you, but I already know you don't want it. So we'll go back to being enemies after this, okay? Don't die, I don't care what happens, just don't die until I find you again. I know there's someone underneath there who's caring, attentive and cares about others. So the next time we meet, I'll do the last thing I know to set her free."

This life didn't seem fair at all to Bora, and despite already knowing it wasn't fair, she still hated it. When someone has already fallen too far, there's only so much you can do to help them. And if you meet them when it's too late, only a single option remains. 

Death.

Death is the only way to free a soul from it's mental torture, and Bora had already been exposed to the phenomenon before. Sure, she lied earlier and said she wanted to kill the girl. But deep down, she knows that's not what she wants. Although again, life isn't fair, and people like Bora hardly ever get what they want. This was just another reminder of why emotions are so useless for them. But maybe, just maybe, death wasn't the final option. Bora had seen those who are too far to be saved, and this girl didn't belong in that category. If she was, she wouldn't have tried (in her own endearing way) to cheer Bora up when she was crying in the garden. She wouldn't have fallen asleep with Bora on the couch, rather than kicking her out after the movie. She wouldn't have even let Bora stay and watch a movie to begin with.

"Don't make that the last option," Bora pleaded. "Is it too late for honesty? Because I don't want to kill you, and I don't think that's what you want either."

There was a long silence after Bora finished speaking. She didn't mind the silence, because she knew it meant the girl was thinking about what she had said. Bora realized while talking that if she didn't start being honest in some way, then they'd never make progress, and the end result would be them fighting to the death. So she put herself out, hoping the girl would meet her somewhere in the middle.

"Can you at least say something?" Bora took a step closer, careful not to scare her away. "So I know you didn't just die somehow?"

She stopped after she could see the girl in front of her again, noticing how her hands were tightly balled into fists. They seemed to be trembling too, by the way her arms were slightly shaking. Concern suddenly flooded Bora's body, unsure as to why the girl was reacting this way. Like she was holding something back that was so strong it was threatening to take over her body.

"You're making this hard," she heard the girl speak with a shaky, determined voice. "I don't want your honesty, please, just say you want to kill me."

"Making what hard?" Bora asked softly, trying not to let panic rise with her voice. There was something wrong, something that she wasn't seeing. It was something that was part of the barrier that Bora felt between them, she was sure of it.

As her lips parter to ask again, someone suddenly knocked on the door, Bora almost jumping out of her skin at the noise. She glanced at the agent, both in agreement on staying quiet in hopes the person would leave. But it didn't seem they would, because another knock came, along with a familiar voice.

"Bora," she heard the deep voice call out her name, almost like it was bribing her.

Bora's blood ran cold, knowing the position they were just put in. There was no decent possible outcome to this anymore, no clean conclusion that she had hoped for. No, instead, it was about to become paint thrown on a canvas in hopes for an end product, using too many colors only creating disaster and confusion.

"Wooseok."


	13. uncover

In Bora's time of being an agent, there were rarely any moments that left her without options. Usually, there was at least one. Even if it was a terrible option, it was still there for you to choose, as if it were an offering from either god or satan. Your choice doesn't matter, whichever option you choose is by your own will, and how it affects others is for your concern only. That's where the line of morality is drawn, and in between either side is a large grey field of dead flowers. Usually, it would be up to you how you decide to color those flowers. It's what made life exciting and unpredictable, and it's something that humans craved. Control and free will. So when you're left without those two things, you're left with compliance and submission.

Two things that Bora hated the most.

Despite her ill feelings towards it, she found herself facing them as her only option anyway. Wooseok was on the other side of the door, and he already knows exactly where she is. Staying quiet and hoping he leaves wasn't an option. Fighting isn't an option given the current situation, as Bora had an idea that Laurent was turning a blind eye. The most logical thing would be to throw her cards out on the table as if she had gotten a royal flush in poker, using the power of possessing the flash drive in her favor. Unfortunately, there was a drawback to that option as well. While it was true that Wooseok had been hiding the item from the Government, saying it was in evidence when in reality he was looking to sell it, Bora was sure he had some alibi to it all. Even if she did call him out on it, he could easily flip the situation and pin everything on her. She was at an illegal auction after all, with absolutely no explanation, not to mention the fact she had been working with a Cobra agent.

So here she stood, on the other side of the door from her boss. He had more pull in the industry, and Bora knew she was at a disadvantage in every aspect. That's why for the first time, she found herself without an option. The only thing she could do was fake her hand, hoping the cards that she held were enough to win against Wooseok's hand in the final showdown. The bets had already been placed a week ago, the moment Bora had accepted the agent's proposal of temporary alliances her bet was locked in. And even now, as she found herself backed into a corner, she wouldn't take it back. She wondered if she'd come to regret it, if she had read all of the cards wrong. After all, mind games were one of the game changing factors in poker. If you read your opponent's face wrong, you might fold and lose against a hand that was worse than your own.

"Open the door Bora," she heard the voice call out again, pulling her back into reality. "Or I'll send Minji to her death."

Bora's blood ran cold, her eyes falling wide as she stared at the door. The sound of a nearby train interrupted the silence she was left in, feeling the walls slightly shake as the train rolled by, its wheels scraping against the tracks. It had to be extremely close, the noise of the horn almost deafening. Despite her thoughts being intruded by countless sounds, Bora knew what she had to do. Her hand slowly reached out towards the door handle, fingers brushing over cold metal before being stopped in place. She turned her head to look at the girl next to her, who was shaking her head furiously. Bora didn't care what her opinion was at the moment, her mind already making its decision. Minji was the most important person in Bora's life. If her life was at risk, then Bora would do anything to protect it.

"Stay," she whispered before turning the knob, very slightly opening the door. The light from the hallway poured in, though keeping the girl on the left hidden. Without another glance, Bora slipped out, closing the door behind her.

"Nice to see you again," Wooseok smiled, making Bora want nothing more than to slide a dagger straight through his chest. Unfortunately she couldn't, as killing him tonight would only dig her a deeper hole.

"What do you want," she narrowed her eyes, not interested in small talk. 

He began to walk down the hallway, gesturing for Bora to follow. "Let's go for a walk, as there are curious ears everywhere around here."

Reluctantly, Bora put one foot in front of the other, following him down the hallway. After all, she didn't have any other option. The fact that Wooseok had no trouble threatening Minji's life made Bora feel sick, almost saying it like he had done it before. Before she could think about it anymore, they were suddenly stopped at a door, Bora lifting her head to wonder what was going on.

"That leads to outside?"

Wooseok nodded, opening the door. "You left a bag in the bushes before coming in," he smirked as they stepped out. "Go ahead and get it, we'll be taking a long walk."

Bora realized that he'd been watching her before she even got into the building, as there was in fact a bag she had left earlier with her combat boots in case a fight broke out. Fighting in heels was never really ideal. She silently did as he said, walking towards the bag she had put in the tall bushes and pulling it out. Bora took off her heels, losing the extra height so quickly. She slipped on the black boots before standing back up, a frown on her face.

"I didn't come here tonight to get exercise."

"Fear not," he chuckled with a sinister tone. "It's only a simple walk."

Somehow, Bora seriously doubted that. But either way, she'd follow like an obedient puppy for Minji’s sake. They started off down a small trail behind the house, boots snapping small twigs against the dirt, filling the silence that was left from the train a moment ago. It was dark and she couldn't see much besides what was closely surrounding her, the moonlight only helping to a certain extent. Bora's patience was slowly losing its grip as they seemed to walk aimlessly, Wooseok still not speaking up.

“You killed that guy in the closet, didn’t you?” She asked, though not getting a response. It was the only thing that made sense, especially if Laurent was turning a blind eye to whatever Wooseok did.

"Talk or I'll just kill you," she muttered, losing the fake obedience she tried to hold onto. It was never Bora's style anyway.

"I wouldn't advise that." Bora could practically hear the smirk in his voice. "You're not in a good position, Kim Bora. Secretly buying a flash drive that the Government is looking for, I'm not sure you're in the best position to be talking right now. And I don't think I even need to bring up the fact that you've been working with a Cobra agent."

Her shoulders tensed at the last part, wondering how long she had been watching her. "It was you then, who sent that attack a few nights ago in the parking lot."

"Indeed."

Bora silently cursed at herself. Her partner was right, she should have listened to her. It wasn't something Bora should have pushed to the side. "It was pretty pathetic," Bora mumbled. "Posing them as Cobra agents. You could have at least tried a little harder."

"I got the information I needed from it, so it worked in my book."

"Does your book also say you're a dick?" Bora crossed her arms, the cold night not doing her exposed skin any favors.

"It says I won," he slowly came to a stop, turning to face Bora. "Originally I was going to outbid you, but I realized something."

Bora frowned, tilting her head. "Which is?"

"I can just kill you and take the flash drive."

Barely able to react, Bora suddenly jumped back, the tip of a knife coming within inches of her abdomen. Her hand fell to her thigh, pulling out a small dagger that was concealed by a strap. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She grit her teeth, meeting his blade halfway with her own. The clatter of the steel rang through the woods, probably being audible from a mile away.

"You have something of mine that I want," he pressed forward. "And I'd like it back."

Bora's hand was knocked away as his raw strength was more than her own. A fist connected with her jaw, sending her back a couple of steps. She quickly ducked to the left as knuckles flew by her cheek, bringing her fist up with her towards his ribs. Her fist was stopped with a hand but Bora yanked it forward, knocking Wooseok off balance. Her knee flew up, solid bone crushing into his rib cage. Bora swung her elbow to the side, barely missing his jaw as he jumped back. She didn't let him regain his footing, instantly closing the gap. Watching as he readied his left hand, Bora defensively brought her arm up before noticing movement on his right side. Her eyes widened as she saw the glint of the soft moonlight against clean silver, coming her direction at a fast speed. A sharp pain exploded through her body as she felt a sharp blade shallowly slice through her side, her last second attempt at a dodge saving her life. The knife had also sliced through the strap of her purse, the expensive bag falling against dirt. Bora clenched her jaw as she looked down, knowing she couldn't let him get to the purse as it held the flash drive.

Seeing him lunge at her out of the corner of her eye, Bora quickly spun past his fist, sending a heavy kick against his back. He fell against the ground, Bora taking the second to catch her breath as he began to stand up. "How long," she breathed, keeping a safe distance. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Doing what?" He grinned. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm here to stop you from stealing an important item."

"Bullshit," Bora spat, eyes narrowing. "You lied to me Wooseok. You told me that the flash drive was locked away in the evidence lockers. I know you were trying to sell it."

He stood up, dusting off his pants. "And who told you that?"

Bora didn't respond, choosing to remain silent.

"Your little Cobra friend?" He cocked his head, the smirk on his face growing as he knew he was right. "You don't have to like me, Bora. But you've chosen to believe a disgusting freak instead of your own superior. What'd they say to get you to comply? What was the offer?"

Her fingernails dug into her palm, drawing a small amount of blood with each word he spoke. "I listened to them willingly because I've always known there was something wrong with you. You can call them a disgusting freak, but don't forget how you just threatened Minji's life minutes ago."

"And what does she think about all of this?"

Bora parted her lips, wanting to respond but not being able to. "There was no reason for me to get her involved."

A laugh left his lips, Bora tightening her grip on her dagger out of uncertainty. "Of course" he smiled, staring Bora right in the eyes. "You know, you sound exactly like her."

"I don't know who that is," Bora furrowed her eyebrows before her eyes widened in realization. "Wait..." Her voice suddenly became shaky, her hands beginning to tremble, and she'd only blame it on the cold air. "Threatening Minji's life and attempting to silence me. This isn't the first time you've done this, is it?"

She was almost begging for him to say yes, it is the first time. But deep down, she already knew what the answer was. "I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out," he relaxed his shoulders. "You were asking questions for so long, I thought I'd have to get rid of you too."

"No," Bora whispered, the grip on her dagger loosening as her body began to feel numb. 

"Yes," he smiled as if to rub it in her face. "You're not the first to question things you should have just stayed quiet about. In fact, I'm sure you're already guessing who it is. The girl who waited for you for years, who thought she'd be able to see you again someday."

It felt like any air that was previously in Bora's lungs was ripped out, only leaving the cold winter air to fill it's spot. "What are you saying?" She was barely able to speak a simple sentence, the truth she had been wanting for so long suddenly laid out in front of her so bluntly.

"Lee Siyeon," Wooseok sighed, losing the grin as if the memory of the girl itself put him in a bad mood. "If she would have minded her own business, maybe she'd still be breathing. But," he clapped his hands together, putting the smile back on his face. "I might as well give you a little information about her as an apology. For years, she'd ask once every week if you had asked to see her, or if you were even still alive. Imagine having to tell her everytime that you had already moved on."

"Already moved on?" Bora almost yelled, the frustration threatening to flow over. "I begged just to be able to talk to her for months."

Wooseok shrugged lightly. "I guess your message got lost in the mail. Even still, she never stopped asking for you. But with each year that would pass, the hope in her voice dimmed to an unlit candle."

"Why?" Bora found it hard to continue the steady rise and fall of her chest, the act of breathing almost feeling too painful in itself. "Why put her through all of that and then kill her?"

"Kill her?" He laughed almost hysterically. "I didn't touch her, she decided her own fate. That dumb bitch wouldn't go when I told her to," he spat. "It wasn't until I told her you were there that she silently stood up and agreed to go."

Bora froze, air seemingly stuck in her lungs. "What?" Her voice was shaky, breathing unstable. If he was telling the truth, then Siyeon had known it was a setup from the very beginning. She knew that Wooseok was trying to get rid of her, yet she still went because he told her Bora was there. It only meant that Bora's intuition was right. She always knew there was no reason to send a Spectre agent to their death in a situation like that. Wooseok had only used it to his advantage, getting rid of someone who knew about his corruption without having to get his hands dirty.

All the memories from that night began running through Bora's head like she was rewinding a movie. Now that she had the truth, there was no reason for Siyeon to save her life. The younger girl shouldn't have been there at all, and she wouldn't have been if Bora wasn't there. An overwhelming sense of guilt washed over Bora, adding on to the guilt she already felt. When they were kids, Bora had vowed to herself that she'd never let Siyeon suffer again, yet here she was, the cause of her demise. Her eyes began to sting but she held the tears back. She wouldn't cry in front of Wooseok, she wouldn't let a single tear escape until he was behind bars. Only then can she apologize to Siyeon.

"I'll finish what she started," Bora grit her teeth, her fingers digging into the hilt of her dagger. "You took her from me twice, now let me take your life away in return."

Bora thought about how alone Siyeon must have felt, watching everyone respect a man that was pure evil. Yet she took it on all by herself, and even in the night of her death, she still didn't tell Bora or Yubin what was going on. If Bora had to guess why, it was because she didn't want that weight to be passed on to their shoulders. Finishing what she had started seemed like the best way Bora could ask for forgiveness from the younger girl. And maybe, when Bora dies too, she'll be able to see Siyeon again and tell her everything's okay now.

She squeezed her eyes shut, begging the tears to stay back. "Siyeon," she whispered. "I hope you're watching."

"The only thing she's watching is the dirt that surrounds her corpse."

Bora quickly closed the distance between them, a branch snapping underneath her at the sudden movement. "Shut up!" She yelled, her fist getting blocked by his wrist.

Her body moved with pure anger and rage, no defensive play to her continuous barrage of attacks. Her mind was in a state of despair, grief and guilt playing into the other controlling emotions. In fact, she couldn't even feel her body moving anymore, as if she had given up her ability to control her actions to some puppeteer. But she didn't care, the only thing she wanted to see was crimson liquid flowing from the body in front of her. Consequences weren't registering in her mind anymore, and it didn't matter to Bora what happened after this. Her body moved with that philosophy, swinging her dagger with intent to kill each moment it left the proximity of her side.

Their knives danced against each other without rhythm, the both of them receiving non fatal blows every now and then. The more Bora fought, the more her thoughts began to clear, realizing that what she was doing was only playing into his game. He could easily kill her in the name of self defense right now if he needed more evidence to prove him innocent. And even if she did kill him, nothing would change. Siyeon would still be dead, and the only thing Bora would get was a life sentence to jail. She couldn't do that to Minji, Yoohyeon, Yubin and Gahyeon. Revenge was still possible, and it didn't have to be through death.

Bora narrowed her eyes, tracking his movements to the best of her ability. She'd have to completely beat him in order to finish this. She'd need a confession on camera or else her word wouldn't be taken over his. Watching as his arm extended towards her, Bora sidestepped to the left, thrusting her arm forward only as a distraction. He moved to block the attack, but as soon as his focus was on her left hand, Bora shifted the weight to her right foot, pulling back her arm and putting all of her power into a single punch. She knew she had it as soon as her fist was released into the air, flying towards his jaw like a meteor. His eyes widened, knowing it was too late to completely block the impact, and the sight was something that made Bora smile. But right as her knuckles were about to crash against it's target, a hand suddenly pushed it off course, making it fly over his shoulder instead.

Bora fell off balance, barely catching herself before falling against the dirt. "What the hell?" She spun around, finding a familiar black mask, putting Wooseok into a chokehold. "What are you doing?" Her voice raised, anger overflowing. 

The girl didn't speak, only pointing to the purse on the ground. Bora furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding what she wanted. 'You want that?"

The agent shook her head, still pointing. "You want me to take it?" Bora guessed again, this time recieving a nod. She finally understood, or at least she hoped she did. The girl wanted her to take the flash drive and get out of here before someone noticed the fight. It made sense, but she couldn't have picked a worse time to intervene.

Shrugging it off, Bora ran forward and picked up the purse, glancing between Wooseok and the agent one last time. "Don't forget I told you to live," Bora spoke to her partner directly. "Don't kill him, just knock him out and find me when you're done so we can finish this."

Bora turned and began to run off into the trees, remembering the route they had discussed for a quick escape. She didn't really want to leave the girl behind to fight alone, as Wooseok was a strong opponent. He wasn't Bora's boss for no reason, he had earned the higher title for a reason. He was strong and cunning, not that her partner wasn't, but it only took one slip up to lose. However, as long as Bora had the flash drive, everything would be okay. She'd compile all the evidence she'd need to prove Wooseok guilty, and then she could finally go back to her normal life. The end was so close, all she had to do was get back to her hotel and wait for the girl to come back. But what if she was left waiting there forever? Bora's footsteps started to slow down, each step forward felt like she was walking on a red carpet made of guilt. What if she's the only one who makes it back?

Her body finally came to a complete stop. All of the times her partner had mentioned abandonment suddenly echoed through her skull. Had Bora just abandoned her? She shook her head, telling herself this is what the girl wanted. She wanted Bora to leave with the flash drive. But even still, Bora just left her to fight alone. She wouldn't do that if it were Minji or one of her friends back there. After all, the girl had an obvious fear of abandonment, so if she were to lose to Wooseok, her dying breath would be taken alone and left behind. 

Bora harshly bit her lower lip, feeling the metallic taste against her taste buds. She should have just kept running, as this was more important than losing a Cobra agent's life. Unfortunately, Bora had already accepted the fact that the rude, sarcastic, secretly caring girl meant more to her than that. And quite honestly, Bora was tired of having things to feel guilty about. She also knew that the girl would most definitely haunt her as a ghost just to piss her off. Letting a quiet sigh pass her lips, Bora turned around, running back to the fight. She just hoped that she wasn't too late.

Her legs carried her as fast as they could, retracing the steps she had taken to get away. Bora already knew the scolding she was going to get from the girl after this, but she didn't care. It wouldn't be the first time she had made her mad. Jumping over a fallen branch, Bora weaved through the trees, the air in her lungs starting to feel scarce. She recognized a small stream to her left, indicating she was close to where she was before. The noise of knives clashing against each other was starting to become audible with each step taken, Bora allowing the noise to guide her. As she got closer and closer, the scraping of steel against steel suddenly ceased, sending worry throughout her body. Her legs pushed further, digging into the earth with urgency. A black outfit finally came into view, though the black blazer that was previously there now gone, only leaving the white dress shirt and tie.

Slowing down, Bora narrowed her eyes to assess the situation. The good news was that her partner was still standing, no blood visible on her body. Bora looked a little past her, finding wooseok thrown against a tree on the ground. She instantly came to a stop, watching from a distance as the girl slowly walked up to him, her back towards Bora. "What is she doing?" Bora whispered to herself, squinting to see better. But just as she was about to make her presence known, her heart almost stopped as she saw the agent's hand move upwards.

Bora watched in anticipation, confusion and fear as the girl began to take her mask off, letting it drop to the ground. From her angle, Bora couldn't see, the only thing visible being her long black hair and Wooseok in front of her. She shifted her focus to him, finding nothing but terror in his eyes. 

"No," she heard his shaky and terrified voice through the small distance, trying to back up but failing to as he was already against the tree. Bora had never seen him so terrified, the pure disbelief in his voice making her curious. "You're not supposed to be alive."

The girl crouched down in front of him, a knife held tightly within her palm. "A lot of things weren't supposed to happen," she spoke with pure malice that sent shivers down Bora's spine. She had never heard the girl speak with such a cold and dangerous tone. "I'd say this is the only thing that deserves to happen."

"You'll never win," he growled. The girl only tilted her head as if amused. 

"Really?" There was a smile in her voice that Bora could hear, but it wasn't one caused by happiness. It almost sounded blood-thirsty. "Then tell me," the knife that was in her hand suddenly flew forward, digging itself deep into Wooseok's flesh before Bora could react. "Is this what winning feels like for you?"

Bora's eyes widened as blood began to pour from his stomach. Her legs wouldn't move, her body frozen as she watched the last piece to the puzzle die in front of her. The knife pulled out of his stomach before diving back in, over and over and over again. Bora felt sick as she watched the slaughter unfold in front of her eyes, not being able to do anything to stop it anymore. His limbs slowly stopped resisting, the life in his eyes depleting as the attacks didn't stop. It was over. Everything they had worked for was over. Sure, they had the flash drive, but now what? Accusing a dead man of crime hardly ever worked in this scenario unless they could find solid evidence. Bora's hands balled into fists watching as the girl slowly came to a stop, the bloodied knife in her hand dropping to the ground as she leaned back. The girl gradually stood up, bringing the black mask with her and putting it back over her face. It was the only time Bora had been grateful for the barrier.

"Explain," Bora stepped out, trying to hide the emotion in her voice. "You better explain to me right fucking now what happened."

The girl didn't show any signs of hearing her at first before turning around. Red liquid had completely stained her white shirt, recoloring the once innocent hue. Bora had to close her eyes for a moment, the sight in front of her affecting in her ways she wasn't expecting. She was disappointed, frustrated and betrayed. As much as she hated Wooseok, they needed him alive. 

"I told you not to kill him," Bora swallowed heavily, opening her eyes. "I trusted you."

There was still no response as the girl seemingly just stared at her, not caring what Bora had to say. "Answer," she demanded. "I deserve an answer."

The girl glanced at Wooseok's dead body, then back to Bora. "I lied."

"You lied?"

The girl nodded, blood dripping off her hand. "I told you I wanted evidence. It was all a lie." There was a small moment of silence before Bora heard a small breath from behind the mask. "I wanted revenge."

"Did you get it?" Bora asked, her voice almost cracking from how hard she was trying to hold everything back. She couldn't say she was surprised that she was lied to, but it still hurt nonetheless, and that's what she hated the most. How much it hurt.

The only answer she got was a small nod. A defeated, sad smile formed on Bora's lips, not knowing what else to do. "Good," she turned around, walking away. "I'm glad you got what you wanted."

"Where are you going?" She heard the girl call out, and Bora swore there was a small sense of panic in there.

"Where do you think?" Bora laughed humorlessly. "I'm going back home."

Footsteps began to trail behind her quietly as they walked through the trees. "Why are you following me?" Bora sighed, not bothering to turn around. The footsteps didn't stop, only keeping their steady pace.

"You said we'd meet back at the hotel."

Bora stopped, turning around in irritation. "That was before you lied to me. Our alliance is over, do you not understand? I have the flash drive, and I'll submit it as evidence of corruption anyway. Now go," Bora pointed in a random direction. "Go back to doing whatever you were doing before all of this."

Bora began walking away again, this time not hearing anything behind her. She let out a shaky, quiet breath, thankful yet not at the same time. It wasn't until she started to hear footsteps following her again that her shoulders tensed, stopping in her tracks. "I said stop following me," she lashed out. "Our alliance is over."

"It's not," the girl spoke in a set tone. "It's not over until we get back to the hotel."

Rolling her eyes, Bora kept up her steady pace. "God you're annoying."

"That's my line."

They didn't get to walk much further before Bora heard the girl behind her suddenly stop, her own legs stopping out of curiosity. "What's wrong?" She glanced behind.

"Do you hear that?" The agent asked, and Bora listened for a moment before her eyes widened. It almost sounded like a stampede, multiple pairs of boots flooding through the wooded area. They had found out, and were probably on the hunt for them, confirming Bora’s suspicions that Laurent was working with Wooseok.

"Shit," Bora cursed as she reached for her dagger. Her hand was abruptly stopped as she felt a hand wrap tightly around her arm, dragging her forward. 

"What are you doing?" She yelled under a whisper. "We need to fight."

"No, my car isn't far from here. Just run and we'll make it."

Bora found herself struggling to willingly go with the girl despite her body being dragged along. Too much had been revealed tonight, her heart still reluctant to leave the thought of Siyeon. It was a mixture of everything, too many blinding hues swirling inside of her skull. The most prominent color being a vibrant red, only sitting there menacingly. It grew from the taste of revenge, and that's what she hated. Even knowing they needed Wooseok alive, Bora still can't deny the relieved feeling she felt as she saw his dead body. She wondered if Siyeon would be happy with the outcome, or if she'd be mad. Either way, Bora would still at least try and prove his guilty past, and whatever trouble came attached, she'd take on by herself.

"Get in!" She heard a voice yell, pulling her out of her thoughts. Realizing they had already made it to the car, Bora quickly opened the door, sliding in.

Bora's back pushed against the seat as the car took off, the engine finally being put to good use. Her hand found the edge of her seat, gripping it tightly as the girl drove them away from the area. It seemed they had angered a hornets nest, and she was sure Laurent would inform Cobra about what happened. She lifted her gaze, glancing over to her left at the masked girl. The way Wooseok looked so terrified upon seeing her true face, he must have known her at some point. 

"Who are you?" Bora asked bluntly, tired of being left in the dark. She was tired of everything. She waited for an answer but it didn't seem to be coming.

"I deserve an answer," her voice was demanding, this time not finding comfort in the silence. "You killed the person that I needed to take alive, you lied to me however many times, and who knows what else."

There was a small moment of silence again before the girl finally spoke. "Just shut up," she breathed out with a barely audible struggled breath.

Bora's eyes snapped to her after picking up on the small falter, not finding what was wrong before her focus fell down to her side. There was a tear in her white shirt, fresh crimson liquid slowly leaking out of a hidden gash. A quiet inhale passed Bora's lips, trying to ignore the concern building inside of her. She wondered if she had gone soft because even after all that had just happened, she still felt worry for the taller girl.

"How deep is it?"

"Shallow."

A frown pulled at Bora's eyebrows, hearing the lie in her voice with ease. Her eyes forced themselves to shift towards the window, watching the streetlights pass by. It was an indication they were back in the city, another reminder that their time was almost up. Bora had no idea where to go from here or what path to take. If she somehow made it out unscathed, she didn't know what she'd say when the time came to turn in the flash drive for evidence. The probability of her being believed after Wooseok's death isn't high, but she already knew that. Rationality was the best state of mind to have in situations like this, the reality of clean and happy endings often only a product of hope. Not that it was bad to have hope, but Bora went into this with hope left behind. She knew what she was getting herself into a week ago, and although tonight took a turn she hadn't seen coming, it didn't change the fact that she was expecting something to go wrong. The only hope she held onto was for her friends to believe her about all of it.

"Realistically," Bora let out a small breath. "What's your chances of survival with me turning in the flash drive rather than you?"

The girl shrugged lightly. "I'll probably only have Cobra after me since I'm assuming Laurent will tell them what happened."

The answer satisfied Bora, the chances being better than if the girl were to try and expose the corruption herself. "Will we ever see each other again after this?"

"No."

Bora sighed, shifting in her seat. "Let me rephrase that. Will you ever see me again?"

"What?" The girl glanced at her before focusing back on the road. "Same question."

"It's not," Bora spoke calmly, despite the forest fire happening in her brain. "You obviously always know where I am somehow, and I know you've watched me before. I don't believe you would have decided to ask me to help you if you hadn't studied me until satisfied."

"Nice observations," the agent mumbled sarcastically, sending annoyance down Bora's spine.

None of the girl's actions made sense anymore the more Bora thought about it. There was no possible way she knew that Wooseok would be at the auction tonight, and if she only wanted revenge, then Bora's help wasn't needed. None of this was needed, nothing that happened between them ever had to happen in the first place, and that's what was the most frustrating part. At first she only felt like a toy, bending to the girl's will. Now, she's not sure the agent knows what she's doing either anymore. There's also still the ambiguity as to why the girl had saved Bora's life months ago, because even she said that she wasn't looking for help until recently.

"Would you ever consider being honest for once?" Bora moved her gaze to the girl next to her, the car slowing down at a stoplight.

"Would you?"

Bora frowned, her fingers pinching the fabric of her dress. "I've been honest. I already told you I don't want to kill you anymore. I told you I wanted you to kiss me."

There was a small pause, one that made Bora uncomfortable for a moment. "Do you regret it?" The girl asked, refusing to return her gaze. "Being honest, after tonight."

"No," she answered with ease. "I should, but I've never been one to care about consequences. Besides, if you hadn't killed Wooseok, I would have done it with my own hands in the future."

She finally got the girl's attention, the black mask turning to face her with a soft red glow from the bright stoplight. 

"Why?"

"That's my question," Bora deflected. "How do you know Wooseok well enough to want revenge that badly?"

"He killed someone I knew."

Bora wasn't expecting a direct answer, as almost everything she had ever asked the girl was always given a vague response. Her initial response was shock, but after realizing how similar the answer was to her own, she got curious. Despite it being a direct answer, it still left many different questions. Questions that Bora wanted to know the answer to, but as the car began to move forward again, the surrounding buildings became more recognizable. So little time to ask too many questions.

"You're lying again, aren't you?" Bora sighed. It didn't make enough sense for her to believe it. If revenge was always the initial goal, she would have never needed Bora's help tonight.

The girl didn't respond, not that she was expecting her to. If Bora had figured anything out by now, it was that honesty wasn't the agent's style. In reality, honesty wasn't a common trait for anyone in this field.

"Your turn to answer," she heard the question being tossed back to her.

"He killed someone I loved," Bora answered without emotion in her tone. 

The only sound that filled the car was the engine for at least a minute, Bora noticing how the girl's grip on the steering wheel tightened.

"Loved?"

Bora only nodded her head, gazing out the window. "Loved," she explained sarcastically. "You know, like when you like someone as more than a friend. Or maybe you don't know."

"I do know." The response came a little too quickly.

Bora raised an eyebrow but decided to not question it any further. "Then maybe for once we can see things from the same perspective," she quietly wished. "Although I was barely sixteen at the time, so I don't think I knew what love really felt like until it was too late."

The car came to a stop in front of the hotel that Bora always hated seeing. She didn't get to ask half of the questions she wanted to, but even if she did, it probably wouldn't have got her any more answers. As long as there was a mask in the way, the barrier between them would never be crossed. That was something that Bora accepted, even if acceptance was the last thing she wanted. She didn't know how the girl bloomed so effortlessly inside of her, almost like she had been planted there for years. It wasn't something Bora was able to stop or ignore anymore. She wondered if it would have made a difference if she had acknowledged it earlier. But even now, as her hand hovered over the handle of the car door, Bora didn't even know what she was acknowledging.

"Did it hurt?"

Her hand froze, the sudden question catching her off guard. "What?" Bora turned to look at the girl, who this time was already gazing in her direction.

"Being in love."

Bora thought back to all the moments she spent with Siyeon. How the younger girl's eyes held each and every star within them, reflecting any light they came in contact with. How she could effortlessly make Bora laugh, and how much Bora loved hearing the younger girl's laugh. The warm feeling she felt around Siyeon and the comfort. Even though they were young, Bora's sure that's what love felt like. She had never felt that kind of feeling again with anyone. Sure, she loved Minji and her friends, but not in the way she loved Siyeon. Maybe if they were older at the time, Bora would have realized it sooner. But unfortunately she was young and naive, finding love in a life that wasn't made for it.

"Yeah," she answered quietly, remembering the last moments she had with Siyeon, sitting on the couch after a movie and talking about anything and everything. "It still hurts, I think it always will."

Bora felt a small drop of liquid form in the corner of her eye, not even bothering to try and conceal it. She knew there was no point, as the girl had probably already noticed it. The tear escaped her eye, slowly sliding down her cheek as if taking its time. None followed after it, just a single tear creating its own path. The girl seemed to be watching her carefully, the silence being something Bora became so used to.

"You're crying," Bora heard her state as if it were just a normal observation. A quiet, half hearted chuckle left her lips.

"Nice observation," she joked with a small smile, using the girl's words against her.

A blanket of silence fell over them for a moment before she noticed the agent's hand hesitantly start to lift up, reaching towards her direction. She knowingly held her breath as fingers slowly stretched out, gradually coming closer and closer. Bora swore she saw a small tremble before the hand halted, faltering before fingers found their way back to her palm, the hand retracting. Before she could say anything, she heard the car door open, the girl quickly getting out. Bora mirrored her actions, standing up from the low based car into the cold air. It probably wasn't safe for them to stay outside for very long, the two of them making their way towards the entrance. Once they had made it to her room, Bora closed the door behind them, locking it with a small exhale.

"Did you ever think we'd make it this far?" She asked as she turned around, leaning back against the door.

The girl shook her head. "Not with you."

Bora playfully rolled her eyes, dropping her purse that held the flash drive to the ground. She didn't know if she was imagining things, but the way the agent was standing seemed extremely rigid. Her lips parted to ask something, but she was beat to it.

"Do you really still plan on turning the flash drive in?"

"Of course," Bora furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm not letting Wooseok get a funeral as if he were some saint."

The girl shifted uncomfortably. "They won't listen to you. He's dead."

Bora frowned, crossing her arms. "And whose fault is that?"

They stared at each other for a moment as if challenging one another, but surprisingly, the girl looked away first. "If he's dead you don't need to use the flash drive as evidence anymore. Just destroy it."

"No."

She saw how the girl's hands balled into fists, her mask turning back to look at her. "Are you listening to me?" She snapped, irritation in her voice. "They won't believe you, and if anything, it's going to put a target on your back."

"You agreed to this," Bora didn't back down. "I only offered to help with this whole thing as long as I got to take the flash drive at the end. You don't get to change the rules now."

"Yes-"

"No," she didn't let her finish. "You got what you wanted from all of this. You got your revenge, which, by the way, I should be asking you more questions about but I'm going to let it pass." A sigh left Bora's lips as she lightly shook her head. "You got what you want, so it's over now. What I do with the flash drive isn't your business."

No one spoke for a moment, Bora hoping that meant the girl was considering what she had said.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Bora repeated out of surprise. Again, the girl agreed way too easily than she was used to, reminding Bora of the beginning to all of this, when she agreed to her taking the flash drive.

"Yes," the agent nodded. "Wouldn't want you crying again if you don't get your way."

Bora raised her eyebrows with an amused smile. "Low blow," she chuckled lightly. "I'm pretty sure you're the only person who's seen me cry twice, and yet you choose to make fun of me for it."

The girl shrugged. "You teased me the entire week, figured I might as well get a cheap shot in before leaving."

The smile on Bora's lips faded, the last word leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. "Can I ask you one last thing?"

"I guess."

Bora tried to find the words she wanted to ask. In reality, she had thousands of questions, but one in particular stuck out to her in the moment. "Do you really want to be alone?"

She watched as the girl slightly tensed at the question. "Who said I was going to be alone?"

"Your lack of socializing," Bora chuckled halfheartedly. "And with the time I've spent with you, I can tell you don't want to let anyone in. In fact, I think you're scared of that happening."

"What makes you think that?"

"Everything," she answered simply. "The fact that you took me to your garden. You let me watch a movie while I sobered up and didn't kick me out despite saying you would. If you weren't even slightly interested in the idea of someone else, you wouldn't have done any of that. You also wouldn't have kissed me back."

"Bold assumptions," the girl quietly mumbled.

Bora tilted her head, the desire to push her limits coming in waves. "Am I wrong?"

There was a small pause before a rather unconvincing answer.

"Yes."

Her teeth unconsciously took her lower lip between them, softly biting down as she thought about her next words.

"Then kiss me again," Bora took a step forward, lowering her voice. "And if you say you don't feel anything, I'll believe you."

The girl didn't move or answer for a moment. "You don't even know what's under this mask," she gestured to the black physical barrier on her face. "Do you not find it weird?"

Ordinarily, Bora might think the same. In fact, if she were in an outside perspective, she might actually think she's crazy. But her feelings are possible to deny anymore, and maybe that's thanks to the limited time they had left together.

"Isn't that the beauty of it?" She cocked her head. "It's not just pure physical attraction. Somehow you grew inside of me, but I don't know when or how. It seems that I've always found you interesting, even from our very first meeting."

"You only liked me because I was competition."

Bora shrugged. "Interest is interest, and now I'm willing to admit I find you entirely too intriguing. Even without seeing all of your face."

"Do you think you'll regret those feelings?"

A small breath left Bora's lips. "Some things in life are worth the regret."

She noticed the red liquid that was still slightly fresh on the side of the girl's white dress shirt, the cut probably hurting pretty bad. Bora knew better than to bring it up though, already knowing she'd just get shut down like usual. 

"You're right," the agent spoke as if she had just made a huge decision, the weight audibly sliding off her shoulders. Bora furrowed her eyebrows, confused as to why she sounded like she had solved world famine.

"You're right," she said again, this time with a quiet chuckle. "Regret... It's a give and take, isn't it? You get something in return for regret itself, and probably grief or sorrow."

"Yeah?" Bora frowned. "I guess so."

The girl nodded. "Then I understand now."

"Understand what?"

There was no answer, instead a finger being held up, pointing to something. Bora followed the line, her eyes falling on her purse. 

"Make sure the flash drive is still in there."

A bad feeling crashed over Bora, but she did what the girl said either way. After all she had run with it in her purse for a while. It could have slipped out. Turning her back to the agent, Bora bent down, opening the small purse. She dug around in it for a moment before eyeing the flash drive, a sigh of relief leaving her lips.

"Yeah," she closed it, standing up and turning back forward. "It's still he-"

Her voice immediately stopped, her eyes staring down the barrel of a pistol. She couldn't help but feel the corner of her lips tug upwards, though never separating. 

"You never disappoint."

"Give me the flash drive," the girl demanded, index finger hugging the trigger. Bora had no doubt in her mind that she'd pull it.

It made sense to her now, why the girl agreed so easily to compromise with Bora. She never intended on letting her walk away with the flash drive, so instead the agent agreed just to get Bora's help. That was the logical explanation anyway, but something told Bora that wasn't all. It still didn't make enough sense as to why this was the ending. She had a feeling there was something else, an alternate reason, but even if there was, there wasn't any point in looking for it now. The girl had already made up her mind, and Bora understood.

"You should have just kissed me when you had the chance," Bora sighed teasingly, trying to mask any hidden sadness or disappointment in her voice. She glanced at the girl's injured side again. There was no way she'd be any competition in this state, but it seems she didn't care or didn't notice. "Now this has to end badly, all because you won't be honest."

"Honesty is subjective."

Bora's eyes narrowed in question. "Is it?" She asked. "Then someday I'd like to hear your beliefs on it."

Not wasting anymore time, Bora swung her leg up, swiftly knocking the pistol out of the agent's hand. The weapon crashed against the wood flooring, skidding away out of reach. She threw her weight on her right foot as it came down, lunging in for a punch. The girl was quicker though, blocking Bora's fist with her palm. She struggled against her strength for a moment, wondering how the hell she still had so much in her despite bleeding. Bora clenched her jaw as she stared at the expressionless black mask, the annoyance of it's indifferent face starting to erupt. She wondered what was truly under there, what emotions there were. If only she had been able to see them the entire time, maybe things wouldn't have ended this way.

Throwing the girl's hand away, Bora swung with her left arm, knuckles barely making contact with the mask. The agent jumped back as Bora's boot narrowly missed her stomach, the rain of attacks never stopping. Bora found it weird how each attack the girl sent felt readable, easy to dodge or block. However, for a moment she got too comfortable, and as she moved to dodge a punch, a boot slammed into her stomach with enough force for Bora's back to crash against the wall behind her. A cough left her lips as the air seemed to have left her lungs, trying to breathe in oxygen that wasn't there. She didn't have time to readjust, her eyes finding a fist flying her way like a meteor that had just broken through the earth's atmosphere. Bora almost couldn't dodge in time but narrowly did, the tightly balled hand creating a hole in the wall next to her. 

As she was extended to the left, Bora's eyes fell on the red liquid on the girl that was starting to seep out quicker and quicker from the increased movements. It was like the agent wasn't even human anymore, something fueling her that was stronger than the concept of life itself. It gave an entry way though, and no matter how strong she was, Bora knew how to quickly end the fight. Utilizing all the energy she had left, Bora poured it all into her left leg, her boot crushing the girl's side, right against the small gash. She heard a sharp inhale behind the mask, the agent dropping to her knees as her hands placed themselves over the wound. Bora leaned back against the wall with heavy breaths, her stamina still drained from earlier.

“Why?” she exhaled heavily, looking at the girl from the bottom of her eyes. “Why did you make it end like this?”

She pushed herself off the wall, walking behind the girl and picking up the pistol that was left on the ground. Moving back to where she was, Bora held the gun tightly in her hand, though not pointing it at the girl yet.

“Why take me to the garden? Why do literally anything that’s not related to the goal?”

The girl slowly lifted her head, looking up at Bora. “Because it was all part of the end goal.”

“It wasn’t,” Bora snapped, lifting the pistol with a shaky hand. She narrowed her eyes as she trained the sights down on the agent’s forehead, right between where her eyes would be. “Don’t fucking lie anymore,” she grit her teeth. “You didn’t need my help for revenge, so what is it you truly want?”

There wasn’t a response, and Bora swore she could almost laugh out of pure frustration and something else. Something akin to betrayal, if not betrayal itself. Her heart was in pain, and that was the sickening part. This girl didn’t deserve that power, and Bora didn’t think she’d ever feel this strongly about someone else again. It was everything she didn’t want, and now, she just wanted it to be over. She wanted everything to end and erase all the memories of the last week and even a couple years. A splash of red could help that. The crimson liquid could assist her in ways that only felt possible through death right now. To watch the criminal in front of her bleed out, she was sure that was the right thing to do at the exact moment. Her index finger began to tremble over the trigger as it hugged tighter and tighter, a part of her wishing the girl would do something other than sit there and look up at her.

It was as if her mind was read, Bora instantly noticing the smallest movement in the girl’s legs before she cautiously stood up. Bora followed her every move with the pistol, ensuring not to give up the upper hand. The same mistake wouldn’t be made twice. Her eyes dropped to the agent’s hand that was slowly reaching up, not towards Bora, but rather herself. And that’s when Bora’s own eyes began to widen, fingers brushing over the black mask before pausing. 

“What are you doing?” She asked quietly, her grip unknowingly loosening against the pistol.

Slim fingers wrapped underneath the mask as if teasing her, Bora holding her breath in anticipation. She could practically hear her own heart racing, wondering if the girl could hear it pounding too. If her ribcage wasn’t there, Bora wouldn’t be surprised if her heart beat out of her chest.

Without an answer, the agent finally pulled her hand away, fingers dragging the mask with it and letting it fall to the floor. Her eyes watched as long black strands of hair fell over the agent’s shoulder, let loose from the absence of the mask. A few chin length pieces of hair lightly laid on either side of her cheeks. The next thing she saw was parted lips, a droplet of blood trickling down her chin. Bora’s heart physically restricted as her eyes continued along the path of the revealing mask. Every smell, every sight or noise felt overwhelming. The blood in her veins froze, and the feeling of being alive itself wasn’t registering anymore. The girl’s eyes were dark yet somehow soft, reflecting even the tiniest bit of light in them. Bora was looking directly into them. She’d never forget the way they shined like that, even from the first day she met her. The eyes that she wanted to protect, the eyes that were filled with tears as she reached out for her. The person that Bora failed to protect, the person that shouldn’t be alive. 

“Siyeon,” Bora whispered breathlessly.


	14. white

They stared at each other for what felt like hours, no mask in the way to leave emotions up for guessing. Where Bora’s eyes held confusion, sorrow and hope, Siyeon’s held anger and hurt, and Bora could see it. Words were something Bora was trying to think of right now, but there were too many or none at all. Too many questions that she had, clouding her mind like a thunderstorm. The picture Gahyeon had showed her a while ago showed Siyeon's beauty, but in person was a whole different experience. At this point, Bora was convinced cameras would never be able to capture the younger girl's perfect features. Bora reached her hand up, cupping Siyeon’s cheek as if to question whether she was real or not. The warm skin underneath her hand was the indicator she was looking for, but Siyeon quickly grabbed her wrist, pinning it against the wall. Bora didn’t fight back, breathing calmly as she stared up at the taller girl.

"You're alive," Bora whispered as if still in disbelief, eyes darting to every corner of Siyeon's face.

The girl didn't respond, only staring at Bora steadily with dark eyes.

"How?" Bora almost stuttered, the emotions of seeing Siyeon again starting to build after the initial shock. "They said you were dead. Everyone told me you were dead."

"Is that what you wanted?"

There was pain in Siyeon's voice, but Bora could tell she was doing her best to sound unaffected and indifferent, almost like she was trying to hold the same image the mask did. 

"No," the word quickly left Bora's lips without hesitation. She shook her head, not even sure why Siyeon asked that. "I’ve spent countless nights with tears streaming down my face because I never got answers for what happened to you.”

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Am I supposed to believe you?"

Bora frowned, frustration of not getting through to the smaller girl building. "Do you not remember anything at all?" She asked desperately. "You were my best friend Siyeon, listen to me."

There was conflict in Siyeon’s eyes, and Bora could tell whatever the girl was remembering was something she didn’t want to. “Don’t call me that,” Siyeon grit her teeth, anger suddenly present in her voice. “We were never friends, Bora. You’re nothing to me.”

Failure. That was all Bora felt. As she looked into Siyeon’s eyes, there was an enormous amount of pain and betrayal. The stars that Siyeon used to hold in her eyes weren’t there anymore, and Bora subtly wondered if that’s just how life works. Maybe she was too hopeful to think after all these years, Siyeon would have been the same. It’s not that Bora wanted her to be the exact same, because everyone grows up and changes. But to change in such a drastic way, it made Bora want to hug Siyeon and never let her go. Reassure the girl that she’d always be here for her, no matter what. Although, maybe it was too late for any of that.

“What happened to you?” Bora asked, her words dripping with sorrow and the desire to know. Her eyes reflected empathy itself, wishing she could have done something to make things different.

“How could you ask that?” Siyeon chuckled humorlessly. “When you’re the one who ripped any hope out of me.”

“Me?” Her eyebrows furrowed. “What was I supposed to do? Fight off two grown men when I was just a kid?”

The hand that was restricting Bora's wrist dropped. "You know that's not what I'm talking about."

Bora didn't. She had no idea what Siyeon was referring to, because after that night, she never saw her again. “Then explain it to me,” she pleaded. “Tell me what I did wrong.”

Siyeon’s eyes flickered to her as if unsure of whether or not Bora was playing with her. “Why should I? Are you trying to stall me?”

“Would you believe me even if I said no?” Bora countered. She waited for an answer but didn’t get one. “That’s what I thought.”

The silence thickened as Bora met Siyeon’s challenging gaze with determination. “I’m not backing down, Siyeon,” Bora took a step forward. “Come home with me.”

“Give me the flash drive,” the taller girl ignored her request. 

“I’ll give you it when we’re home. We’ll end this whole thing together.” With each step she took, she found hesitation in Siyeon’s movements. Bora’s emotions began to build, the girl she had been missing for so long so close to her. “I’m not leaving you alone again.”

The girl began to step back to create more space, but Bora didn't let her, throwing her arms around the taller one and pulling her close. Siyeon was extremely rigid as Bora hugged her tightly, hands grabbing the fabric on the back of her shirt. Bora blinked the tears away, refusing to cry again in one night. Her breathing was shaky, unable to believe that Siyeon was right in front of her, afraid she'd disappear at any moment.

"I missed you so much," her voice was muffled against the taller girl's shoulder. She didn't care that Siyeon wasn't reciprocating the hug. Whatever was going on, they could fix and clear up later. "Please Siyeon, come back with me."

She felt her shoulders relax a little as if giving in. Bora held onto her like her life depended on it, refusing to let go until she was sure this wasn't a dream. She never thought she'd be able to hug Siyeon again, the action being her favorite thing to do in the past. Now that Wooseok was gone, she could take her back home, right? Bora could finally introduce Siyeon to Minji, Yoohyeon, Yubin, and have her and Gahyeon reunite. It was what the two of them always wanted and dreamed about, and now that Siyeon was here in front of her, she could make that a reality. Bora's lips parted to try and convince her to come home with her again, but before she could say anything, she felt a sharp, thin needle pierce her neck.

A pained gasp left Bora's lips as she winced, jaw clenched in discomfort. "What are you doing?" She asked through gritted teeth, feeling her entire body start to numb.

The fingers that were balled into Siyeon's shirt slowly fell limp, her arms falling to her side. The control she had of her limbs just moments ago was quickly fading. Bora begged herself to keep standing, but everything felt like it was turning off. Soon, her legs followed suit, seemingly not wanting to hold her up anymore. Bora's body was leaning helplessly against Siyeon's, the girl being the only thing keeping her from crashing down on the hard floor.

She felt lips near her ear, hot breath dusting against her skin. "Does it hurt?" Siyeon whispered without empathy. "Does it hurt as much as you hurt me?"

The taller girl stepped aside, letting Bora's body drop to the floor. Siyeon crouched down next to her, taking the flash drive out of Bora's purse. 

"I'm curious," the girl stared down at Bora's unmoving body, "if you thought I'd just forget."

It felt like Bora's entire body was falling asleep, her ability to move anything on her own free will being gone. She could only lay there, helpless as Siyeon flaunted the flash drive. Her eyes moved up to find Siyeon's, who's were almost covered by strands of hair. Still, Bora could see enough. There was an emptiness in them as they stared down at her, but there was also something else. Bora couldn't tell what it was, but she was sure she wasn't supposed to see it. She watched as Siyeon reached her hand forward, thumb slowly dragging over her cheek.

"Tears don't help anything Bora," she spoke with disappointment. Her head slightly tilted, indifference in her eyes. "You told me that, remember?"

Siyeon's head dropped for a moment, a small laugh barely audible. "You probably don't, but that's okay." She stood up, pocketing the flash drive and turning away. "If you would have just given me the flash drive this wouldn’t have had to happen,” she sighed, running a hand through her smooth, black hair. “Your breathing will stop if you don't get help soon." Siyeon paused at the door, not turning her head to look at Bora. Her hand clenched into a fist, fingers digging into her palm. 

Bora desperately wanted to move, to be even able to move her lips, but she couldn't. Her body was completely numb, the poison that was injected into her neck taking away her ability to do anything. She could only watch as Siyeon opened the door, hands staying clenched. The innocent white of her dress shirt was stained by red, the darker hue taking control slowly as it seeped into the soft fabric. It was a fitting image, one that she felt like she had seen before. A visual representation of their story, tainted innocence.

"Goodbye, Bora."

It was the last thing she heard before her vision went dark, her body shutting down from the poison.

_The wind gently brushed Bora's hair around as she slowly wandered, observing all the flowers carefully. She crouched down, reaching her hand out to the fully bloomed carnations. A small smile pulled at her lips as she traced small patterns on the petals, moving gently underneath her fingertips. Someday she wanted to show Minji and Yoohyeon this garden, whenever she got back to them that is. Bora's eyes flickered over to the white chrysanthemums next to her, the flower species holding a special place in her heart. The perfect ratio of each flower was planted. Despite the contrasting colors, Bora found she liked white and red together, as long as one didn't outshine the other. It had to be a perfect balance._

_Standing up with a deep breath, Bora walked back inside. She made her way down the long hallway to the dorms, a yawn leaving her lips. She was tired. She wanted to see Siyeon today since she hadn't yet, but everytime she looked for her, she wasn't around. Bora figured she must have been kept late training, so she didn't worry about it. Turning the corner, Bora heard quiet sobs down the hallway, a figure slowly walking her direction. Her eyes narrowed to try and see who it was, but she was too far away. As she got closer and closer, she started to recognize the cries and the long black hair._

_"Siyeon?" Bora stopped, the girl almost walking by her without noticing her._

_Siyeon paused, awkwardly glancing at Bora out of the corner of her eye. "Hi," she said weakly, her voice cracking from even the smallest word._

_Bora instantly rushed towards the girl, cupping her cheeks with her hands. "What's wrong?" She asked as she wiped the tears away with her thumbs._

_Siyeon's lips parted to answer but didn't, only leaning down and shoving her head into Bora's neck. Bora felt tears against her skin, wrapping her arms around the taller girl and reassuringly rubbing her back. She didn't know what was going on, but she had rarely ever seen Siyeon cry. The girl broke down in Bora's hold, tightly reciprocating the hug. They stayed like that for a while, Bora not asking anything else until Siyeon was ready. The best she could do was just be supportive, not trying to rush her._

_If she had learned anything about the younger girl after four years of friendship, it was that you had to be careful when approaching Siyeon’s feelings. The girl didn’t like to openly talk about them, and would often get scared off if you would try. That didn’t mean she didn’t show her emotions, though. Siyeon always made it clear how happy she was around Bora, and that’s one of the things Bora loved the most. How validated and important Siyeon made her feel, like as long as Siyeon was alive, Bora would have a purpose to live for. She had Siyeon, and that meant she could never let herself die._

_"It's okay," Bora whispered softly, gently playing with Siyeon's hair. She knew the girl liked that, especially when they'd watch movies._

_The sobs slowly came to an end, Siyeon's body still trembling every now and then. Bora stepped back once feeling the arms around her loosen, taking a look at Siyeon's swollen eyes._

_"Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?" She asked softly, the girl shaking her head._

_"You'll get in trouble."_

_Bora smiled, taking Siyeon's hand in her own. "I don't care." She turned around, pulling the girl down the hallway with her towards her room. Siyeon followed willingly, staring down at the hand that was interlocked with her own._

_Once they were in the small room, Bora closed the door, walking over to the bed and sitting down. She patted the spot next to her, gesturing for Siyeon to sit down too. The mattress dipped as Siyeon sat next to bora, the older girl turning to look at her._

_"Do you want to talk about it?" Bora cautiously asked, not wanting to be nosy._

_Siyeon visibly thought about it, pinching the skin on the back of her hand before nodding timidly. "If you promise you won't laugh."_

_Bora raised her eyebrows, lips parting. "You think I'd laugh at you?" She leaned forward, grabbing Siyeon's shoulders and shaking her a little._

_The younger girl laughed loudly, gently grabbing Bora's wrists as she was being moved back and forth. Satisfied with the mood change, Bora slowly let her hands fall off Siyeon's shoulders. Siyeon still held her wrists, not letting go._

_"I'm scared that I'm going to be left alone," the black haired girl's voice turned shy again, averting her gaze._

_"Why?" Bora frowned. "I told you, you'll join my friends and I."_

_Siyeon hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I was trained by a Spectre agent today," her voice threatened to break again as her fingers began to play with the silver bracelet on Bora’s wrist. "Wooseok told me they just used whoever was available, but I'm scared."_

_"But they said they're training you for Control," Bora countered, trying to stay positive. "And hey, as long as I'm alive, I'll never leave you alone."_

_Siyeon's eyes met her, looking at Bora as if begging that sentence to be truthful. "I'll always be by your side, Siyeon," Bora smiled warmly, watching as tears began to stream down her face again._

_Bora used the sleeve of her hoodie to wipe them away. "Tears don't help anything," she spoke quietly. "Let's keep working hard so we can stay together, okay?"_

_The younger girl nodded, closing her eyes to stop the crying. "I'll work hard," she sniffled a few times._

_"I'll work hard for you."_

Bora's eyes slowly fluttered open, the luminescent lights above her shining down like the sun. She quickly closed her eyelids again, feeling the pain of the bright light echoing through her skull. Sick. She felt extremely sick, the headache she had felt like it was crushing her brain, constricting it to where it couldn't find oxygen. Her limbs felt stiff, Bora finding it hard to even move her fingers. Besides having a splitting headache, everything felt foggy. She had no idea where she was, and she had no idea what day it was or any recollection of what had happened. She definitely wasn't in her room, the lights had made that obvious.

Was she captured? Did she mess up somewhere on a mission? She didn't know, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. It all almost felt like one terrible hangover, the aching in her body similar to something she's experienced before. She knew it wasn't though, according to the unknown location. Through the pain in her skull, she almost heard a voice, like a vivid memory. It was soft and bright, as if it were holding the definition of hope itself. Bora wanted to smile upon hearing it, but her lips wouldn't move. The voice was comforting to her, despite not knowing what it was saying. 

It seemed to be getting closer and closer to her, and with each passing moment, it became more clear. "Bora!" The voice called out, a smile clear within it. 

Bora felt butterflies in her stomach at the sound, wanting to turn around to be face to face with them. 

"Hey Bora," she heard again. "Do you think we'll ever get to leave together?"

It was as if Bora's body was moving towards the sound, however she could still feel the bed underneath her. There was a small, innocent laugh that felt like warmth itself, and she was sure she'd heard it before. She desperately wanted to find the source, but within an instant it was gone as her body flew up, eyes wide open.

"Bora?" She heard again, this time more vividly. Her eyes darted to the right, finding a familiar face.

"Yooh," her voice was hoarse. Despite being happy seeing her best friend, Bora couldn't help but feel an emptiness lingering.

The taller girl dove forward, wrapping Bora in a tight hug. "Stop squeezing so tight," Bora groaned, her body being suffocated. Yoohyeon didn't let go for a moment, ignoring Bora's desperate pleas.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Yoohyeon's voice was muffled before finally releasing her grip and pulling back.

Bora let herself breath for a moment, rolling her shoulders that were just being restricted. "What happened?" She sat up a little more, rubbing her eyes. "What day is it even?"

"It's friday," the girl answered, "and I don't know exactly what happened, we were hoping to ask you that."

An inquisitive look formed on Bora's face, Yoohyeon continued. "We found your body in your hotel room where your last mission was. You were unresponsive, and we got you to a hospital as quickly as we could. They said there was nothing that could be done for you, a poison had already run through your body and we would have to wait until you fight it off.”

"Poison?" Bora tilted her head. The fogginess in her head was starting to clear, bits and pieces still too unclear to see. "What was I doing again?"

"Looking for the flash drive, remember? The one Wooseok had lost?"

"Flash dr-"

Bora's eyes suddenly widened, memories passing by her eyes like a train. The flash drive, the Cobra agent, the auction, Wooseok, and... Siyeon. A hand flew over Bora's mouth, clasping tightly as she suddenly felt sick. She could remember the moment Siyeon stuck the needle in her neck, her body falling to the floor. The masked pain in Siyeon's voice and eyes, and Bora didn't believe any of it for a second. Something happened that Bora doesn't know about, something that made Siyeon hate her. She had no doubt it was Wooseok's doing, probably manipulation when they were younger. There was proof that Siyeon still cared, but it was like she felt safer behind the mask. As soon as the mask fell, her fear and pain took over, obviously afraid to get close to Bora. 

"Yoohyeon," her voice was shaky as she looked up at her friend. "Was there anyone there when you got there? What about the flash drive?"

The taller girl looked at her with concern, but quickly answered. "No one was there, whoever did it was long gone. And no, we never found the flash drive."

"Wait, it's been a month and still no sign of it?" Bora frowned. 

Yoohyeon shook her head. "We didn't find it, but someone else did. I don't know who, but about a week after we found you, there was an anonymous message sent to everyone in the agency. We couldn't track it, however what was attached was..." Her voice trailed off. "Unbelievable."

"How did you find me?" Bora asked, suddenly realizing there was no way they would have known she was in trouble.

"You texted us," Yoohyeon almost spoke in a questioning tone. "You wrote "EM42," our codeword for an emergency like that.”

Bora stared at her blankly, positive that she hadn't sent a message. She couldn't even move her mouth at the time, much less her arm and fingers. But it had to be her, right? Because the only people who knew that code were those within the agency. She had to have texted that, unless... Someone who was previously in the agency sent it for her. Siyeon. It was the only logical option. Bora had a password on her phone, but it's been the same since she got her first phone years ago. Her and Siyeon's birthday mixed together. The younger girl had known her password back when they were friends, so she must have taken a shot in the dark and tried it again.

"Damnit," Bora silently cursed, biting her lower lip harshly. Yoohyeon looked at her with concern written on her face. "What about Wooseok? What happened?"

"He's dead," Yoohyeon stated indifferently. Bora already knew that but she figured she'd play innocent. Something tells her that's what Siyeon wants. "Whoever sent in the flash drive also wrote sixty-seven pages filled with evidence, exact dates and locations of crimes Wooseok had committed, along with the story of how the flash drive got lost in the first place and why it wasn't locked in evidence. It exposed his account on the website that he was selling it on and everything."

"Sixty-seven pages?" Bora's jaw dropped in awe. That meant only one thing; that Siyeon had been planning this for a long time. "Was everything valid and passed by our legal team?"

Yoohyeon nodded. "Actually, they just finished verifying every claim a few days ago. Everything was marked as evidence, and though he's dead, they're still going to look into all that's happened."

It felt like she had woken up in a different timeline. The storm had passed, seemingly, and everything could go back to normal. Everything except the fact that Siyeon was somewhere out there still, hopefully. Although from Bora's experience, if she didn't want to be found, then she wouldn't. Even if Bora wanted to find her and tell her how much of an idiot she is, she couldn't. Not to mention she's probably on the run from Cobra, along with their allies.

"Where's Minji?" Bora asked, missing the absence of her friend.

"Tracking down the person who poisoned you, which, by the way, do you have any recollection of them at all?"

Bora swallowed dryly. Tall, beautiful, long black hair, dark yet shiny eyes, sharp jawline, perfect- 

"Not that I can remember," she shook her head. She'd tell her friends about Siyeon when the time was right, but she wasn’t sure that things would go well if she said anything right now. Bora had confidence that Siyeon was long gone before they showed up anyway.

"Well she's got a good trail," Yoohyeon smiled. "Minji got there that night before me as she was apparently close when it happened. Said there was still fresh blood, and it wasn't yours."

Bora’s lips parted before closing again. Maybe that confidence was premature. “How quickly did Minji get there?"

"About fifty minutes."

It was weird that Minji was that close, but Bora was more focused on the fact that there was still fresh blood by the time she got there. That meant Siyeon didn't leave until someone arrived. Bora compiled all the information in her throbbing head, finding the action of thinking too much right now.

"I think I need to rest a little more," she exhaled with annoyance. Being lazy was something Bora didn't like.

Yoohyeon nodded in understanding, standing up with a small smile. "Get some rest, I don't like it when you're not trying to pick a fight with me."

Bora sent her a glare but couldn't hide the quiet chuckle. "Whatever," she closed her eyes indignantly. "I'll see you in the morning."

She heard the door close, Bora's eyes opening back up slightly. It was completely dark in the room, besides the streetlights from the city peering in through the slitted blinds. It casted shadows on the wall, her eyes trailing them carefully. It was like they were all parallel pathways, each reflecting their own universe of choices and decisions. Bora often wondered if those different timelines existed, and in which one she and Siyeon were happy. She was sure that in some world, things didn't turn out this way. 

It wasn't the end, however, and Bora was determined to have a happy ending. A year ago she'd say there was no such thing for people in this line of work, but maybe now she had fallen to hope and desperation. Coming so close with someone who you thought you had lost forever, only to lose them again. She'd find Siyeon, and she'd drag her back whether she wanted to come or not. Wooseok was out of the picture, and the only one who knew Siyeon killed him was Bora herself. They could be happy, things could work out. Bora just had to find her, first.

She refused to consider the possibility that Siyeon was too far gone, because she simply wasn't. Maybe if it was someone else, Bora wouldn't try so hard, killing them being the easier option. She'd already failed Siyeon twice, and she wouldn't let it happen a third time. Siyeon still cared, it was obvious despite her trying not to. Now that Bora thinks back to all of it, she could feel warmth spread through her cheeks, only now realizing she had kissed Siyeon. The blush quickly disappeared as her mind shifted to the night of the garden, and the assortment of flowers. 

Siyeon had planted those without the intention of Bora ever seeing them. It wasn't like she'd known Bora was going to ask to see a garden. The flowers were definitely planted as a story, or maybe more of an art form to express herself, because expressing herself was never something Siyeon was great at. The loneliness of that white chrysanthemum in the middle, drowning from the red carnations swallowing it. Bora could see it now, how it reflected Siyeon's feelings. And yet, Bora was the one who cried that night, staring at the well displayed flowers. She couldn't even imagine how Siyeon felt, having the person who hurt you the most standing in front of your raw yet hidden canvas of emotions. 

That fear of abandonment that Bora had noticed, all the times Siyeon brought it up that week, and it was all stemmed from Bora herself. Obviously there was a misunderstanding somewhere between them, but still. Her heart felt like it was being suffocated just thinking about it. She wondered how many times she had hurt Siyeon unknowingly, and it was something she didn't even want to think about. Bora closed her eyes again, exhaustion taking over. She'd find Siyeon, but this time with a different approach. There was something that Bora noticed throughout the week of being with Siyeon. The more she started to actually express her interest in the taller girl, the more Siyeon would get agitated. It gave her an idea, one that hopefully would give her a little extra time the next time she sees her. If Siyeon wanted to wear a mask, then she would too. 

-

"No," Bora crossed her arms defiantly. "We're not friends anymore."

The taller girl grabbed her shoulders, shaking her around. "Bora please," she begged. "I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you!"

"You can't, the only person I know and respect is Gahyeon."

The younger girl did a silent celebration on the couch, Yubin smiling while watching her. 

"I was busy, I'm sorry just please forgive me."

Bora could barely contain her laughter despite being mad. She glanced at the wilted flower in the pot, then back at the girl in front of her. "I'll let you live, Kim Minji," she spoke dramatically. "Only because you were worried about me and were gone."

The girl beamed, her eyes turning into crescents. "But," Bora held her hand up before Minji could get too excited. "Buy me a new flower since you killed the last one. They're expensive, by the way."

They weren't really that expensive, but it gave Bora a good laugh seeing Minji's face contort into horror. She walked away, plopping down on the couch next to Gahyeon. Bora instantly was all over the smaller girl, hugging her and praising her for taking good care of her other flowers. 

"You're so cute," Bora nuzzled her head against Gahyeon's. "I might steal you from Yubin."

She smirked at the death glare she was sent by the latter. "What's gotten into you?" Gahyeon giggled, Bora not letting go until she felt someone tug on her shirt. 

"Don't scare our baby," Minji scolded, but Bora didn't care.

"She likes it," she shrugged as she stood up with a stretch. "Don't be jealous Minji, take care of my flowers better next time and maybe I'll give you a little kiss."

"I'm starting to think comas aren't such a bad thing," Yubin sighed, tired of Bora's animated personality. Bora only laughed, heading to the door. 

"Don't worry Yubin, I missed you just as much as the rest."

The girl groaned. "Great."

Opening the door, Bora waved behind her. "I'm gonna go to my weekly check up, I'll be back in a couple hours."

She walked out, letting the door close behind her. The air was a bit warmer these days, the season changing to spring. It had been about three weeks since she woke up, and surprisingly everything was fine and back to normal. Everything but a couple things. She was instructed to go to a weekly medical checkup for the span of two months, and there was something else. Normally, Bora would have just pretended like she was going to the check up and then just skip it, but she was being watched. Not watched 24/7, but she had noticed someone keeping more of an eye on her than usual. 

Minji. That person was Minji.

Bora was sure she had her reasons, maybe the girl was worried about her since she couldn't end up finding the person who poisoned Bora. Which, on a normal day, Bora would hunt them down to the ends of the earth to get revenge, but it was Siyeon. And while Bora wanted to hunt her down for other reasons, she hadn't been able to yet. There were many times she found Minji oddly in the same location she was at, or she'd notice the girl watching her almost with skepticism at times. Bora chalked it up to her own imagination, because she loved Minji wholeheartedly. Whatever she was up to, Bora was sure it was fine. 

"Everything good?" Bora asked the doctor as he flipped through his notes and results.

He hummed with confirmation. "You're doing well Ms. Kim," he adjusted his grip on the clipboard. "The amount of Curare in your system the first day we operated on you was worrying, but you seemed to have powered through."

"Was it enough to kill me initially?"

"No," he shook his head. "Well, yes and no. Yes under the context that you didn't ask for help. Had you been left untreated for another thirty minutes, you'd probably be gone. It seems like a strike of luck, how close Minji was at the time. Everything had to be perfect.”

Bora slowly nodded, that being something she'd heard a lot. Everything did seem to work perfectly, from the distance of the nearest person that could help Bora to the dosage of poison that was injected into her.

"Are you experiencing any pains or discomfort?"

"No," Bora answered. "I feel pretty normal, my muscles just need to get their stamina back."

He smiled, setting his notes on the table. "I'm sure they'll bounce right back. I have no doubt your friends are training you well."

"They are," she hopped off the table. "I'm lucky to have them."

The doctor opened the door, letting Bora walk out. "I'll see you next week, recover well," he waved, Bora returning the gesture.

"Thank you!"

Bora let out a small breath as she left the doctor's office, looking around the busy street. Everyday felt wasted, like she was only extending the distance between her and Siyeon. For all she knew, Siyeon could have already been hunted down by Cobra. It's not an idea Bora liked to entertain, but the girl did happen to piss off a lot of people. A part of Bora wished Wooseok was still alive, because she doesn't feel like she got all the answers. Was he working alone? Were there more like him within the agency? He was smart, but Bora wasn't sure he could do all of that by himself. Bora had read some of the sixty-seven page documents that Siyeon anonymously sent out about him, and he was corrupt even back when they were kids it seemed. With that said, Bora was pretty sure Siyeon trained under him for a while in the Spectre unit, and maybe that's how she first found out something was wrong.

Bora only wished that Siyeon would have trusted her rather than taking on things by herself.

Pushing the reoccurring thoughts out of her head, she walked home, happy that she wasn't freezing. Bora didn't like the cold, that much was obvious. However, she wasn't sure she liked the season changes either. It was only a vivid reminder that time was passing as well, time that Bora didn't have. With each second, each day that passed, she was sure Siyeon was trying to put that mental mask back on tightly this time. It almost felt narcissistic to say, but Bora was positive she melted through some of the girl's defenses. It was just a matter of getting back to her before they were built back up. And this time, if those walls are already rebuilt, Bora's not sure she'll break through them again. 

It would only leave one option.

Once she was home, she quickly locked herself in her room. Bora pulled out her laptop, setting it on her desk and stretching her wrists before going to work. She typed in the password, the screen displaying numerous pages of various locations. Locations that Bora had marked to check for Siyeon. In reality, she had no clue where the girl could be. One hint she did have to go off of was the data from the intelligence unit. Cobra activity was tracked and stored within servers, and recently there had been higher spikes in certain areas. From what the intelligence unit had collected, Cobra was after someone. If Bora was correct, that someone was probably Siyeon. 

That's what she hoped was the sudden spikes in activity at random places. She had mapped them all out, trying to figure out a pattern. Unfortunately, she found none. None that led her to believe there was any relevance between locations. The one spot that she was interested most in was the red activity at a certain spot on the edge of the city. The industrial part, where Siyeon's hideout was. There was increased activity around that area, but only the week after the flash drive was stolen. After that, it hadn't been touched again, at least not by a large group or anything that would set off the radars. Surely Siyeon wouldn't stay in a place that Bora knew of.

Sighing quietly, Bora rubbed her temples as she rested her elbows against her deck. She wished it was simple, that she could just go out and search for Siyeon. Instead she was going to be sent back to work like usual pretty soon, and that'd make it even harder. If she's partnered with someone then it'd make it next to impossible. Her only hope then would be for Siyeon to find her, but she already knew the girl probably had no intention of that. Bora wondered if she should just respect Siyeon's space, but this wasn't a matter of politeness. It was a matter of getting her best friend back and pulling her out of the darkness she had fallen into. She knew Siyeon still felt things, and that's all that mattered to Bora. 

Putting her focus back at the task at hand with new found resilience, Bora's fingers danced against the keyboard as she searched for any and all information that might help. She stayed like that for hours, searching locations and listening to the Cobra chatter that the intelligence unit had picked up. None of it was much help, only vaguely hearing that they were looking for someone, which she already knew. Bora almost found herself falling asleep, the night quickly passing as she sat there, face only illuminated from the glow of the laptop screen. Her head was about to fall against the table before a soft knocking sound startled her awake.

Bora jumped, looking around the dark room. "Yeah?" She called out, wondering who was there.

"You awake?" She heard a quiet voice from behind the door.

"Wouldn't have answered if I wasn't," she groaned, earning a small laugh from the older woman.

Minji opened the door, peeking in before fully allowing herself in. Bora watched her politely close the door behind her, walking over to her bed and sitting down. She cocked an eyebrow with curiosity.

"Is this an intervention?" Bora asked with a yawn, not liking the way Minji had her hands in her lap. It was something she did when she had a serious topic to discuss.

Minji shook her head. "No," she gave a reassuring smile, but something about it was off. Bora didn't feel reassured at all like she normally would. Minji's smile could always effortlessly make her feel like everything is okay, but right now, it didn't. 

"Then.." She played with the silver bracelet on her wrist nervously. "What are you here so late for?"

Minji didn't answer for a moment before shifting, looking at Bora in the eyes. "Is there anything you remember from the night you were poisoned?"

Bora's eyes narrowed. "No," she answered easily. She hated lying to her friends, but if she didn't she might put Siyeon in even more danger. Once she found her again, then the lies could stop as she'd drag Siyeon home and make her meet Minji and them. "Nothing that I can think of."

"Then what about before it happened," the woman prodded. "What were you doing an hour before that?"

"Did I do something wrong?" Bora furrowed her eyebrows defensively. 

Minji jerked back as if realizing how it was starting to sound like an interrogation. "No," her hands balled into fists. "I'm just worried about you, Bora."

There was fear in her voice, but Bora couldn't pinpoint it.

"Worried about me?" She tried to laugh it off. "I'm fine, Minji. The doctor says everything is-"

"That's not what I mean."

Bora flinched at the forceful interruption, and Minji continued. "You're one of the strongest people I know. How did someone poison you in your own hotel, and you have no recollection of it?"

“I’m not invincible, you know.” Bora leaned back against the headboard, ensuring she kept her tone calm. The last thing that she wanted was to fight with Minji.

The older girl gave her a soft smile. “I know,” she reached out, gently placing her hand over Bora’s. “That’s exactly why I’m worried. It was hard seeing you in a coma for a month. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Bora couldn’t help the wide smile that grew on her face. “I’m okay Minji,” she said honestly. “Actually, I’m more okay now than I’ve been for years.”

“Are you sure?” The purple haired girl searched Bora’s eyes. 

“I’m sure,” Bora nodded without hesitation before her lips curved upwards into a smirk. “Are you sure you don’t want that kiss?”

Minji shook her head with a quiet laugh. “At least you never change,” she smiled warmly. 

“I won’t change if you don’t change,” Bora sighed happily as her eyes drifted up to the ceiling. She didn’t realize how much she had missed talking to Minji one on one.

There was an unusual pause, almost long enough to make Bora glance back at the older girl to see if she was still there. A small shift on the mattress confirmed she was.

“Yeah,” her voice sounded a little more tired, but it was quickly changed. “We promised, didn’t we?” Minji tilted her head, “to always be together.”

Bora nodded lazily with a hum. “Of course I remember,” she affirmed. It was a promise they had made when they were kids. At the time it seemed cheesy and stupid, but as they grew up and watched people around them die, it suddenly wasn’t so stupid. “Are we still counting the other part of the promise?”

“Always,” Minji spoke as if it was her sworn duty. 

Bora smiled. “Good.”

There were two parts of their promise. One was that they’d always be together, and that neither of them could change. By change, they meant that neither of them can ever switch sides. The second part was one that Bora almost thought was trivial to include, because it would never happen. Still, they swore on it anyway. It was simple, to put into words at least. If the first promise was broken, and one of them secretly left the agency for a criminal one, then it was the other person’s duty to stop them. Bora could never see that happening to her or Minji, but it applied perfectly for Siyeon. But even with Siyeon, it wasn’t like she just joined Cobra on a whim. There was history that built it all up, creating an unfortunate result.

“Can I ask you something?” Bora brought her gaze down to her friend, who nodded attentively. “If I did join someone like Cobra, how far would you go to stop me? We never really talked about that back then.”

The girl didn’t answer for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “I’m sure you and I feel the same,” she tucked a leg underneath her. “I’d do as much as I could to bring your ass back alive,” a small smile crossed her lips before fading. “But if any of the girl’s lives were put in danger by you, that’s where the decision has to be made.”

Bora nodded in full agreement. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why she never decided to kill Siyeon before knowing it was her. She remembers how the girl had mentioned she saw Bora with Minji on a mission one time, yet never threatened her friends’ lives despite knowing how important they are to her. 

“I agree,” she let her back fall against the bed. “Well, it’s a good thing neither of us have to worry about that.”

Minji stood up, fixing her shirt as she walked towards the door. “I hope so,” she spoke quietly and too quickly for Bora to say anything else. “Anyway, want to watch a movie with all of us tomorrow night? It’s been a few months since we’ve all just relaxed.”

“Sure,” Bora yawned. “But not until you buy me a new flower.”

A whine left Minji’s lips, Bora smiling at the defeated sound. “Deal,” Minji sighed without any annoyance. “Let’s buy some snacks in the morning?”

“Definitely,” her lips curved up into a soft smile. 

“Alright, goodnight Bora.”

She heard the door open, Bora’s lips parting to respond. Something in her chest felt heavy, and she didn’t know why. It was a feeling she’s been having for a couple weeks now. Maybe it’s uncertainty, but it feels much more dense. The feeling of intuition, only this time she had no idea what it was telling her. She could only hope she wouldn’t find out the hard way.

“Night Minji.”


	15. crescent

Bora pulled her dagger out of the now lifeless body under her, wiping off the sweat on her forehead as she leaned back. “Hasn’t Yubin told you to watch your back?” She sighed, looking up at the pink haired girl.

“I didn’t hear him,” Gahyeon shrugged, pocketing her phone.

“You didn’t hear him because you were on the phone with Yubin.”

“Because  _ you  _ told me to!” The younger girl fired back.

A small chuckle left Bora’s lips. “You’re right, I’m sorry. Just be more careful next time.”

She stood up as she heard someone hop down next to them, Yubin coming out of the shadows. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Everyone here is already dead,” Bora yawned. “How about your side?”

“Clear.”

Bora nodded with satisfaction, glancing around the archive room. “Whatever we need should be in here,” she stretched her hand out, letting her fingers run over folders and boxes that had been collecting dust. “Where’s Yoohyeon and-“

“Minji!” She heard a shriek in the distance, coming down the hallway. “You scared me.”

“Sorry baby,” a chuckle came from the distance.

Bora frowned, hearing other sounds that were definitely not words. “We’re in an enemy factory, can you two please control yourselves for one second?” She made sure she yelled loud enough for the two lovebirds to hear her, causing Yubin to dramatically plug her ears.

“Is Bora jealous again?” Yoohyeon called back, this time closer. 

Clenching her jaw, Bora reached for her knife and turned to the door before Yubin and Gahyeon physically restrained her. Minji and Yoohyeon walked through the door with entertained smirks, holding each other’s hand.

“Careful,” Yubin muttered. “She’s mad today.”

Gahyeon furiously nodded in agreement. “Feisty.”

“Bora’s always feisty,” Yoohyeon shrugged as if it were no big deal.

“A little more than usual recently though,” Minji added suspiciously. 

Bora struggled against the grip of her teammates, wanting desperately to send a fist their way. “I’m literally right here,” she muttered. “Stop talking about me.”

“Someone needs a girlfriend,” Yoohyeon teased. “I think that’s your problem lately.”

Gahyeon’s eyes lit up. “A girlfriend? There are a lot of pretty girls in our agency, just talk to one!”

Bora’s shoulders dropped as she gave up, a defeated sigh leaving her lips. “No,” she said plainly. “Not interested, will never be interested.”

“You were not too long ago,” Minji narrowed her eyes in suspicion. 

“Yeah,” Yoohyeon slowly added. “Don’t tell me you’re already seeing someone?”

Clenching her fists, Bora pushed herself away from Yubin and Gahyeon. “Can we stop talking about this? We’re literally in the midst of a mission right now.”

“She’s kind of right,” Yubin nodded.

Minji shrugged. “You don’t let us talk about it anytime else. Besides, it’s rare that we’re all together for so long.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Bora’s words came out a little harsh as she started to search the archives. She squinted her eyes, looking for the file that was titled  _ s2014.  _ Everyone else did the same besides Minji, who much to Bora’s displeasure, walked up beside her.

“Are you sure you’re doing okay Bora?” She asked with care in her voice, that only further added fire to the fuel. Bora already felt guilty being grumpy around her friends.

“I’m fine, Minji,” she said quickly. “I’m just tired.”

The girl frowned. “That’s why I told you to sit out on this one.”

“And miss a rare opportunity to work in the field with my best friends? No way.”

There was a pause in conversation as Minji seemingly contemplated what to say for a moment. “It’s just..” She started quietly. “You’ve been like this for three months now, ever since you almost died from being poisoned.”

Bora’s hands faltered for a moment. “So?”

“So I’m wondering… Are you upset about Wooseok’s death?”

Bora stared blankly at the file cabinet in front of her, trying not to laugh at the thought. Minji definitely wouldn’t have considered that being an option if she knew what he did to Siyeon, but that was always the interesting part. Once Bora had finished reading everything that Siyeon had written about him, she realized there was a piece missing. A very big one. It seemed the younger girl had left out the part where he sent her to her death because she knew what he was doing. Bora never understood why, because if she had included it, she could just come back and start anew. It’s not like anyone knew she was the one who killed him.

“No, Minji,” she smiled softly. “He was a terrible person, his death doesn’t bother me.”

The girl nodded. “Just making sure,” she rested her hand on Bora’s shoulder and made sure to connect their lines of vision. “Talk to me about it someday, okay?”

Although Minji hadn’t specified exactly what  _ it  _ was that she was supposed to talk to her about, Bora already knew. “I will,” she promised. “But promise me you’ll listen to everything.”

Minji’s eyebrows furrowed. “Of course, I’ll always listen to you Bora, you know that.”

Everything felt oddly heavy. In fact, everything for the past year had started to feel too heavy. Minji’s hand on her shoulder felt like a fifty pound brick, and her words felt like triple that weight. Although Bora knew her friend meant those words, they still didn’t reach her like they used to. It’s not like Bora had anything terrible to hide, it was just that things have happened that could look bad if there was no context or a chance to explain. And maybe that’s what felt so heavy. There was so much that Bora had to hide from people she didn’t want to hide things from. She trusted her friends entirely, but she also couldn’t just air Siyeon out like that. Those lines between right and wrong felt blurry, and Bora wondered why when she didn’t technically do anything wrong. She always intended on turning the flash drive back to the Government. 

Pushing her thoughts away, Bora let out a small exhale. “Thanks,” she smiled weakly before Gahyeon interrupted the conversation.

“I found it!” The pink haired girl yelled, holding a black folder up proudly.

Minji immediately retracted herself from Bora, walking over to the girl. “Good job,” she took the folder, inspecting it with a small nod. “This is it, we should be able to go home now.”

There were small celebrations all around Bora, yet she didn’t feel the same joy and excitement. She hasn’t felt much of anything for months now. It felt like a giant hole was left in her ever since her last night with Siyeon, and that hole only continues to grow day by day. Now that she looks back on it, she’s always felt empty without Siyeon. Even when she was much younger and had forced herself to forget about the younger girl, there was always something she felt was missing. Now Bora knows exactly what it was, or who it was, rather. 

They got back home a day later, objective in hand and bags under their eyes. They hadn’t slept since yesterday, and the lack of sleep was really starting to get to Bora. She was tired, frustrated and overall unhappy. She couldn’t help but feel like she was failing Siyeon with each day that passed. The girl has probably been running and fighting for her life for the past few months, and all Bora has been doing is seemingly mundane tasks. She’s been kept extremely busy, and almost all of her missions have been with someone else. There hasn’t been time to look for Siyeon, and she was starting to wonder if she’d have to make time herself. There was also the fact that it had been oddly quiet ever since Wooseok died. Everyone carried on with what they were doing, acting as if a highly respected agent wasn’t caught in extreme corruption. It bothered Bora, but she hasn’t had the time to sit and think about it.

Bora yawned, pulling out a small black chair and sitting down. “What’s up Chan?” She asked plainly, not wanting to be here in the first place. Chan took over Wooseok’s place after his death, so he gave Bora her orders.

“We have the next destination for you,” he said as he filed through a stack of papers.

“What?” Bora furrowed her eyebrows. “I literally just got back home ten minutes ago.”

“And you’ll be leaving again in the morning.”

An irritated groan stayed in Bora’s throat, trying not to show her displeasure. This was her job after all, but now she didn’t even have time to rest anymore. 

“Who am I going with?”

“No one,” he set down the small stack of papers. “You’ll be on your own. I was going to have you go with Yoohyeon but Minji said you were back to full strength.”

Bora raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you take orders from Minji?”

Chan lifted his stern gaze to meet Bora’s, trying to intimidate her but it wasn’t working. “Don’t get me wrong, Bora. I do not take orders from Minji. However, she directly reported to Wooseok before he died, so I was instructed to hear her the same.”

“What?” Bora’s eyes widened. She never knew Minji reported to Wooseok. It made sense, she guessed. Minji was pretty much their leader if she had to pick one.

“Anyway,” he continued, ignoring Bora’s confusion. “Under her  _ suggestion,  _ you’ll be back to doing missions alone, unless you’d like for that to change.”

Bora quickly shook her head. “I’m fine with going alone.”

“Good. Now read the first couple pages.”

Chan dropped the papers in front of her, and Bora picked the first page up. Her eyes squinted as she read the fine print, wondering if it was time she got glasses or contacts. She read the first few lines, not finding anything interesting but the normal directives. It wasn’t until her eyes skimmed the next couple lines that they widened in shock.

“I’m going back?” She asked as she looked up at Chan.

“Yes,” he nodded. “There’s been extremely high Cobra activity there, almost too many deaths that our agents aren’t able to clean up.”

“Is it another criminal organization?” Bora questioned thoughtfully.

“According to our intel over there, it seems to be. I know you were stationed there for a few weeks, so it was decided that you’d be the best candidate to send in to check things out.”

“I’m not complaining, but wasn’t Minji there for like a month while looking for the person who poisoned me?”

“Yes, but she’s needed somewhere else for the time being.”

Bora bit her lower lip, anticipation and anxiety building in her stomach. She was going back. Back to the same place she worked with Siyeon. Back to the same place Siyeon almost killed her. She felt stupid having hope that the girl would still be around that area. Siyeon probably got out of town that same night. It’s not like she’d stay in the place where Bora could find her the easiest. Besides, Siyeon also had to run away from Cobra for stealing the flash drive. Hell, for all Bora knows, Siyeon wasn’t even in the country anymore. That would be the most probable.

“What exactly am I doing there?”

Chan typed away on his keyboard, only pausing to answer. “See what’s going on, record any information. One of our agents got caught in a crossfire, and so did civilians. As I hear, it’s like a warzone. We can’t keep it from the news forever if nothing is done.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Bora stood up, the chair underneath her sliding against the wood floor. 

“Six in the morning tomorrow,” Chan reminded her. “A car will be there to pick you up.”

“Yeah yeah,” Bora rolled her eyes as she turned for the door. “Not my first rodeo.”

She heard him mutter something as she left, a smug smile on her face. This assignment was perfect. Almost a little too perfect. She wasn’t going there with a time constraint or direct objective. She was going there to collect intel, and by herself no less. Although Bora knew the chances of Siyeon being there were slim, she still wondered if she might be able to find clues. 

“Hey,” Minji smiled as Bora got home.

“Hey,” Bora reflected her smile, only this time a little wider. 

Suspicion immediately took over Minji’s features, the girl tossing her phone to the couch to give her full attention to Bora. “You’re looking oddly happy,” she pointed out.

“What?” Bora raised an eyebrow, sitting down next to her friend. “I can’t be happy?”

“You can…” Minji’s voice trailed off. “But you haven’t been. I’m just happy to see you smile like that again, it’s been a while.”

“Thanks Minji,” Bora said sincerely. “But you should know I’m always happy when I’m with you guys, no matter what.”

The girl’s eyes widened for a moment, as if it surprised her to hear that, and maybe it did. Maybe Bora hasn’t been a good enough friend recently. 

“Do you guys wanna go get dinner tonight?” She asked, the idea being sudden. “Drinks on me.”

Minji opened her mouth to respond but was overpowered by a squeal from behind. “Yes!” Gahyeon clenched her fist with happiness. “Hey Yubin!” She yelled down the hallway. “Drinks on Bora tonight!”

Bora heard a quiet agreement from Yubin, the smile on her face faltering. She knew how Yubin could pack down the drinks, and suddenly her wallet felt lighter than usual. Minji noticed the paleness in her face and chuckled.

“How about we split it?” She offered, eyes forming crescents as she smiled. 

“No,” Bora shook her head. “I want to do this for all of you. I’ve been distant lately, haven’t I? Mentally.”

Minji looked at her with a warm smile, the same smile that she greeted Bora with all those years ago. “We all have roadblocks in our lives eventually. Don’t worry about it Bora, we’re always here for you.”

It didn’t happen often, but Bora felt tears pricking her eyes just from Minji’s words. She didn’t know what she did to deserve such good friends, and now she was more determined than ever to make Siyeon meet them. 

“Thank you, Minji.”

The six girls left the restaurant, all a little buzzed from their drinks. Bora instinctively put her hands in her pockets to protect them from the cold, but she paused, realizing it wasn’t winter anymore. A small breath left her lips, and it was painfully apparent that she couldn’t see her breath anymore. Just more reminders of how much time had passed since then. Four months? Bora couldn’t remember the exact time anymore. She wondered if Siyeon would wait for her or if she had already rebuilt those walls. Before she could get too deep in thought, Bora felt a shoulder nudge against her own.

“If you frown that much you’ll start to get wrinkles,” Minji teased lightly. Bora playfully rolled her eyes, nudging her shoulder back. 

“And? I’m still  _ the  _ Kim Bora,” she flipped her hair dramatically. “I’d look good even with wrinkles.”

Minji laughed loudly, her nose scrunching up as it usually did. “I guess you’re right. You really should have been a model instead of this shitty career.”

Bora shrugged. “I think if we all knew how our lives would turn out, we all would have picked another career.”

“True,” Minji’s lips turned into a heavy, melancholic smile. “But then we’d never meet each other.”

“I think we would have,” Bora glanced up at the moon. “You guys are my soulmates. No matter where I ended up, I would have found you guys somehow. Besides, it’s not like we really had the choice to say no.”

Minji’s smile faded as she looked at Bora’s side profile for a while. Bora felt her gaze, but didn’t say anything. She knew Minji was probably just thinking about everything.

“Yeah, true,” the taller girl sighed, eyes focusing back in front of them. “It’s not like we were old enough to know what we were getting into.” She paused for a while, trying to collect her thoughts. “I think maybe in a different life, you, me, Yoohyeon, all of us are happy together.”

“Are we not happy now?” Bora tilted her head, moving her gaze towards her friend. Those carefree eyes were now filled with worry and thoughts that Bora could tell plagued her mind. Minji always tried to hide that from them, never wanting anyone to worry about her, but Bora could see it. 

“We are, but…” Minji’s voice trailed off. “You know what I mean.”

Bora nodded. “I do.”

They all secretly wished they had a normal life. Going to college, having parties, getting a degree and having a normal job. They all wanted that. This life was exciting at times, but it’s never worth the pain. Bora has seen too many people she cared about die, and she could only wonder when it would be one of them next. She knew their lives are on a shorter timer than most, but even knowing that, it never made it easier. She looked around at the passing buildings, behind her at her friends who were currently holding their stomachs from laughter. It was all so fragile, but she wanted to stay here forever with them.

“Do you trust me, Bora?” Minji suddenly asked.

Bora raised an eyebrow as she looked at the girl. She thought about the way Minji had been watching her for a while, but there must have been a reason for it.

“Of course,” she smiled. “I’ll always trust you Minji, no matter what.”

The girl took a moment to respond. “I trust you too. Do well on your mission tomorrow, okay? Do what you’re sent there to do and come home.”

The way in which she said those words was almost desperate, like she was begging Bora. It was unusual to hear Minji talk like that, and it almost scared Bora.

“I will,” she swallowed heavily. “I’ll come home as soon as I’m done.”

The taller girl let out a deep breath. “Okay.”

They finally got home, all of them flopping down on the couch with limbs overlapping. “What do you guys want to watch?” Yoohyeon asked as she flipped the tv on.

“Horror,” Yubin answered.

“No way!” Gahyeon yelled. “I don’t want nightmares.”

“Romantic comedy!” Minji suggested, earning a groan from Bora.

“Gross.”

Yoohyeon sighed as she was getting conflicting answers all around. “What about the new Marvel movie? Anyone seen it?”

“It’s not new, Yooh,” Yubin muttered. “It came out months ago.”

“New to me,” Yoohyeon shrugged.

“I’ve seen it,” Bora added. “But I’d watch it again.”

“When did you see it?” Gahyeon pouted, sitting up to look at her.

“I saw it a month ago when I was bored.”

Gahyeon sent her a look of betrayal before turning back to the tv. “Let’s just go ahead and watch it, I think everyone is fine with that option.”

The movie began to play, and with each passing second, she was reminded of watching a different Marvel movie with Siyeon. She smiled lightly, remembering how the girl let her sober up at her place despite continuously telling Bora no. Bora’s face suddenly turned a pale shade of red as she remembered how she asked Siyeon to kiss her, and more so when she remembered how Siyeon did exactly that. It was as if she could still feel the exact sensation she did when their lips met, butterflies in her stomach and excitement. Bora would give anything right now just to be able to kiss Siyeon again, and it only tortured her more knowing that she couldn’t. 

_ Damnit,  _ Bora mentally scolded herself as her fingers began to pinch her pant leg. Siyeon could be dead out there and yet she’s daydreaming of having the girl touch her and kiss her again. 

“I’m so fucked,” she whispered disappointedly to herself, accidentally loud enough for Minji to hear.

“Huh?” The girl asked, tearing her gaze away from the screen.

Bora shook her head with embarrassment. “Nothing,” she sighed quietly, forcing the impure thoughts out of her mind. “Nothing at all.”

The next day came unfortunately early for Bora, her eyes puffy from lack of sleep as she got off the plane. The chipper mood she was in yesterday was gone as quickly as it came, everything seeming to irritate her. Bora never operated well on little sleep, and she’s been like that her whole life. She sighed, navigating through the airport, wanting to curse at anyone who walked too close to her. The only good thing about working for the Government is that they flew your luggage separately and had it delivered to your temporary base of operations. She could never travel lightly thanks to all the equipment she had to take, so she couldn’t even imagine having to haul all of it through the tight spaces between people. 

Bora eventually found the agency car that was waiting for her outside, letting the driver take her to her stay. She let her gaze drift out the window, rain starting to pour from the grey clouds. It felt fitting. The streets weren’t as busy as last time, and everything almost seemed dead. She noticed familiar buildings, and even passed the same hotel she stayed at last time. It felt weird, the week she spent with Siyeon feeling like an era in itself. They did so much together in that short time, even if it was mainly them not talking but sitting side by side. Bora wondered if Siyeon was out there somewhere in the shadows, lurking around like she seemed to do before. 

“We’re here,” the driver informed as the car came to a slow stop.

Bora got out, extending an umbrella that was given to her. The place was more remote than last time thankfully, a hotel not being the best choice for things. She got the keys out of her back pocket and unlocked the door, walking inside the small house. Her luggage was waiting for her in the open room, and she locked the door before making her way over to it. A tired sigh left her lips as she opened her laptop, reading over the mission details again. There wasn’t much she really had to do besides check out the area and maybe interrogate a few Cobra agents, which she had every intention of doing  _ tomorrow.  _ For now, Bora had another task in mind.

“Siyeon,” she whispered as she stood up, walking over to her black bag. She took out her black clothing, throwing on a tight turtleneck and skinny jeans. She strapped on her protective gloves along with a black corset, fixing it to where it was comfortable. Tying her combat boots, Bora stood up with a confident huff before pulling out the finishing pieces

Bora pulled out her pistol, loading the magazine and clicking it in. She took out a few knives, strapping them in various places such as her thighs and waist. She always preferred fighting with knives, as guns were too boring. Bora had no idea why, but ever since she got here, she felt like she was closer to Siyeon. It was probably just all of her memories resurfacing again, but she didn’t care. She was going to search for the younger girl anyway, and she’d be damned if anything got in her way. This moment has taken her too long to get to, and she’d definitely have to apologize to Siyeon for taking so long. She’d find Siyeon one way or another, because Bora still had too many promises she made to the girl that were left empty.

The silver bracelet on her wrist shifted slightly as Bora lifted her hand up, eyeing the piece of jewelry for reassurance. She took the quiet moment to consider things she didn’t want to have to consider, like if Siyeon was already gone, or if Bora would have to kill her herself. She wondered if she’d even be able to pull the trigger in that situation. Either way, she hoped she wouldn’t find out. Bora let out a small breath, relaxing her shoulders as she checked the map on her phone. The red spots are where the most Cobra activity has been reported, and she figured that would be the best spot to start. She’s sure that there are other organizations here that Cobra is currently fighting, but she’s also sure that there’s another player in the game. She’s hoping more than anything that the player is Siyeon.


End file.
